The impact of stage, grade, and mucinous histology on the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy in adenocarcinomas of the appendix: Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Background: Adenocarcinomas of the appendix represent a heterogeneous disease depending on the presence of mucinous histology, histologic grade, and stage. In the current study, the authors sought to explore the interplay of these factors with systemic chemotherapy in a large population data set.

Methods: Patients in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) who were diagnosed with mucinous, nonmucinous, and signet ring cell-type appendiceal neoplasms from 1985 through 2006 were selected.