PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PROLlFERATING CELL NUCLIEAR ANTIGEN (PCNA) AND ARGYROPHILIC NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS (Ag NORs} IN COLORECTAL NEOPLASIA

Abstract

In Egypt, colorectal cancer is the seventh most common cancer according to Cancer Pathology Registry (Soliman et al, 1997). In United States, colorectal carcinoma is the second most common malignancy after lung cancer, comprising 10-15% of all malignancies. It shows wide variation in incidence throughout the world (Potter, 1997).

The present study aims at evaluation of the proliferative activity of different histopathologic colorectal tumors among Egyptians. Tumor were classified according to WHO classification, using two different methods of cellular proliferation; the monoclonal antibody PCNA LI and silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions. The second aim was to correlate their results with other clinicopathologic variables including age, sex, site, metastases, grade, stage, and depth of invasion, recurrence and survival. Statistical analysis and correlations were made for all these variables.

Our material of study included 46 cases of colorectal tumors which were diagnosed and treated at the Faculty of Medicine Benha University and the Armed Forces hospital during the period between July 1990 and January 1995. All of the patients underwent resection of the tumor combined with lymph node dissection and none of them received pre­ operative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Additional 6 normal colonic specimens were taken as a control.