Rani Kanthan
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Title: Mixed tumors of the colon and rectum: A review
Biography
Biography: Rani Kanthan
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the world with a projected expected increase of the global burden of disease by 60%. Of these the majority up to 70% arise in the colon and 30% in the rectum. Though stage dependent, the overall survival rate is around 67% and this often relates to the usual adenocarcinoma encountered in the colon and rectum. Mixed tumors of the gastrointestinal tract that have an exocrine component-adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine component are poorly understood lesions and therefore challenging for interdisciplinary therapy. Though they were known to exist since 1924 it was only officially endorsed by the WHO in 2000 who defined mixed exocrine-endocrine tumors consisting of both components with at least 30% representation of each component. This has been further refined in the 2010 WHO classification. The history and evolution of these tumors to its current state with proposed histogenesis will be discussed. The importance of expertise in gastrointestinal pathology for accurate recognition of these tumors and the use of ancillary techniques such as immunohistochemical stains will be addressed together with detailed relevant surgical pathology. Multidisciplinary management of these tumors is imperative for success and treatment strategies that include incorporating the use of cisplatin and etopsid in the management of these rare colorectal carcinomas will be deliberated.