The analysis ofmorphofunctions characteristics can be useful in the colorectal cancer evolution,especially if related to the serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels. The researchof chromosomes and genes instability, as well as the alterations of tissue proteincodified, makes attractive the possibility to use potentially valid functionalfactors as variables for the understanding of colorectal carcinoma prognosis.
OBJECTIVE: To consider classes based on morphologic and functional colorectalcarcinoma characteristics, valuing serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels prognosticpower.
METHOD: Third-five patients in different stages of colorectal carcinomaunderwent operations from 2001 to 2007. Serum CEA levels, histological grade,tissue CEA cell polarization capacity were analyzed. Colorectal carcinoma wasclassified according to TNM stages. The morphofunctional classification wasdetermined by the combination between histological grade and antigen polarization,morphofunctional stages have been based in association between morphofunctionalclassification and stages TNM, by punctuation attributed to each one classification.The results had been analyzed by variance analysis, correlation test and survivalanalysis (Kaplan-Meier and Cox Model Regression), adopting p<0.05.
RESULTS: Morphofunctional stages survival curve resulted similar tothe joined ones in stages TNM. It had relation between new classification proposedand patient survival time. They had observed relation among survival time, morphofunctionalclassification and serum carcinoembryonic antigen.
CONCLUSION: Morphofunctional classification is valid for colorectal cancerpatient's prognostic evaluation and is related with the serum CEA levels.
