[International documentation system for colorectal cancer-- reporting pathological findings]

An international Working Party has achieved agreement on an "International Documentation System for Colorectal Cancer (IDS for CRC)". It includes the essential clinical and pathological data required for estimation of prognosis and evaluation of treatment results. These data are subdivided into 3 types of information: (i) basic patient information; (ii) variables of proven prognostic significance (anatomical extent of disease, i.e. pTNM, and residual tumor classification, some other independent variables); and (iii) information of probable prognostic significance. Recommendations for data collection, pathological techniques and reporting pathology are added.