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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in Field Defects During Progression to Colon Cancer
Published on: July 28, 2010
Higher frequency of diploidy in young-onset microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer
Lisa A Boardman1, Ruth A Johnson, Gloria M Petersen
1Department of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. boardman.lisa@mayo.edu
Purpose:
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) can be divided into two nonoverlapping groups: those that are chromosomally unstable but microsatellite stable (MSS CIN+) and those that are chromosomally stable but microsatellite unstable (MSI CIN-). However, a third group with neither chromosome nor microsatellite instability (MSS CIN-) makes a substantial contribution to the total CRC burden. The clinicopathologic features of MSS CIN- CRC are not well delineated. We assessed the relationship between age and chromosomal instability (CIN) status as measured by ploidy and allelic imbalance in a series of MSS tumors.
Experimental Design:
We studied a prospectively collected series of CRC patients at Mayo Clinic Rochester. A total of 84 samples of MSS CRC in patients
Results:
CRC in the young-onset group was more likely to involve the rectum and to be high stage. MSS tumors in the young-onset group were more often diploid (46%) than those in older patients (26%; P = 0.006). This difference was maintained in the subset of MSS CRC that were high stage (42% versus 18%; P = 0.02) and in rectal cancers (50% versus 23%; P = 0.04).
Conclusion:
A greater proportion of young patients with MSS CRC has diploid tumors than patients who develop MSS CRC over age 65.
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