Is CD10 a reliable marker of invasive colorectal cancer?

AIM Previous studies reported that CD10 positive Colorectal Cancer Cells (CRC) characterized by deeply invasive neoplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have examined 50 pts surgically treated for colorectal cancer on at least 5 years follow up. TNM, grading score and survival have been compared to CD10 expression. RESULTS Thirty-four out of fifty cases have been analyzed (18 males and 16 female) of whom nineteen were CD10 positive and fifteen were CD10 negative. The remaining 16 cases were droping out. No difference in survival rate between CD10 positive and negative in N0, N1, N2. No difference on survival rate and grading 1, 2, 3. We have then analyzed CD10 positive and CD10 negative cases, according to neoplasia grading, in patients with positive linphonodes N1 and N2. We showed a statistical difference between the CD10 positive/N2 (grading 1.66 +/- 0.5) and the CD10 negative/N2 (grading 3) (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS We can hypothesize that CD10 positive neoplasia display a more invasive behaviour, independently from the N score and the G score, compared to CD10 negative neoplasia.