Early (microinvasive) colorectal carcinoma. Pathology, diagnosis, surgical treatment

The term early colorectal carcinoma is used for an infiltrating carcinoma with submucosal spread, but no involvement of the muscle coat (muscularis propria). Our experience with 249 such tumours is reported. Lymph node metastases were detected in only 3% of 130 patients subjected to classical surgery. Early colorectal carcinoma represents a cancer stage with an excellent prognosis (age-corrected 10-year survival rate 100%). The survival rates after limited therapeutic procedures (endoscopic polypectomy, local surgical excision, segmental/tubular resection) or after classical radical surgery do not differ significantly provided that certain selection criteria are strictly observed.