Evaluation and comparison of the clinical, surgical and pathological TNM staging of colorectal cancer.

Background/aims: The aim of our study was to compare the results of clinical, surgical and pathological staging of colorectal cancer.

Methodology: 660 patients with colorectal carcinoma were included in the study. The results of the clinical, surgical and pathological staging were compared.

Results: Clinical T values were identical with the surgical in 75.15%, and with the pathological in 74.54% respectively. Surgical T values were identical with the clinical in 78.48%. In 67.27% of the cases the clinical evaluation of N value was identical with the surgical one. Clinical evaluation was identical with the pathological result in 60.60% of the cases. Surgical diagnosis of the lymph node metastasis matched the pathological finding in 76.66%. Regarding the M value, the coincidence of the diagnoses was as follows: clinical versus pathological 72.72%, surgical versus pathological 90.90%. Clinical and surgical TNM stages were by 79.09% in accordance. By decision of total TNM stage the clinical-pathological staging showed worse (76.06%), while surgical-pathological showed significantly better (88.48%) matching.

Conclusions: Based on our results we can state that in a quarter of all colorectal cancer cases the extent of the primary tumor could not have been established correctly. The lymph node involvement was well defined in just over half of the cases only. The M values were accurately stated in about three quarters of the cases. High grade of conformity of clinical, surgical and pathological staging can result in better treatment-planning, short- and long-term survival, and higher quality of life.