Does CD10 Expression Predict Lymph Node Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer?

Abstract

Accurate preoperative prediction of lymph node status would be a revolutionary adjunct in treating colorectal cancer. The immunohistochemical marker CD10 has been suggested recently to have a predictive capacity for lymph node involvement in colorectal cancer. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of the CD10 molecular marker and lymph node metastasis in a US patient population using previously banked colorectal cancer specimens. This was a retrospective study. The study was conducted at a single academic institution. Included were specimens from 191 patients, with cancer stages ranging from T1N0 to T3N2. The relationship between CD10 and different clinicopathologic parameters was assessed, as well as the ability to predict lymph node metastasis by itself and in conjunction with lymphovascular invasion. CD10 was significantly correlated with left-sided colon cancers (p = 0.01) and the presence of mucinous histology and had a relatively high specificity (75.7%) for lymph node metastasis. CD10 did not correlate with lymph node status (p = 0.33) or enhance the ability of lymphovascular invasion to predict lymphatic metastasis in our patient population. Sensitivity and specificity of lymphovascular invasion alone for lymph node metastasis were 62.8% and 93.6%, whereas adding CD10 status resulted in a sensitivity of 70.6% and specificity of 69.3%. Multivariate analysis revealed only lymphovascular invasion as a predictor of lymph node metastasis in our patient population. This study was primarily limited by its small sample size and retrospective nature. In our patient population, CD10 status was not significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, and it was no better than lymphovascular invasion alone when predicting lymph node status.