Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41639274›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of colorectal disease2026

Impact of gross tumor morphology on the clinical outcomes of colon cancer: multicenter retrospective cohort study.

So Jung Han, Hyun Seok Lee, Byung Ik Jang, Jae Hyun Kim, Hyun Gun Kim, Il Hyun Baek, Jun Lee, Bun Kim, Dae Bum Kim, Jae Jun Park

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of colorectal disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

So Jung HanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1906-5723
Hyun Seok LeeDepartment of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, 807 Hoguk-Ro, Buk-Gu, Daegu, 41404, Republic of Korea. lhsworld@nate.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9288-0321
Byung Ik JangDepartment of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3037-9272
Jae Hyun KimDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4272-8003
Hyun Gun KimInstitute for Digestive Research, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7545-4638
Il Hyun BaekDepartment of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0059-0533
Jun LeeDepartment of Internal Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8060-9646
Bun KimCenter for Colorectal Cancer and Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0039-7728
Dae Bum KimDepartment of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0830-3375
Jae Jun ParkDepartment of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea. JAEJPARK@yuhs.ac.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9974-1658

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWhile histopathological features are established prognostic factors in colorectal cancer, the prognostic significance of gross tumor morphology remains unclear. We investigated whether endoscopic gross morphology is associated with clinical outcomes in colon cancer.

methodsWe performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of 1,177 patients with colon cancer who underwent curative-intent endoscopic or surgical resection between 2010 and 2019. Tumors were categorized based on endoscopic images as flat/ulceroinfiltrative (n = 345) or fungating/ulcerofungating (n = 832). Kaplan-Meier analysis assessed survival outcomes, and Cox proportional hazards models identified independent prognostic factors, adjusting for age, sex, family history, diabetes, CEA, and AJCC 7th edition stage.

resultsPatients with flat/ulceroinfiltrative tumors had significantly shorter overall survival (OS, p = 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS, p = 0.024) than those with fungating/ulcerofungating tumors. In stage II patients, the difference in OS by morphology was more pronounced (p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis confirmed flat/ulceroinfiltrative morphology as an independent predictor of poor OS (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.122-2.335; p = 0.010). Other significant predictors included older age (≥ 65 years, HR 1.533; p = 0.021), poor histologic grade (PD vs. WD/MD, HR 5.308; p < 0.001), and advanced stage.

conclusionsGross endoscopic morphology is an independent prognostic factor in colon cancer. Flat/ulceroinfiltrative tumors are associated with worse outcomes, especially in stage II disease. Gross morphology, readily identifiable at diagnosis, may aid risk stratification and inform decisions regarding adjuvant therapy.

Indexed as

Colonic NeoplasmsAgedCohort StudiesDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPrognosisRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeClinical outcomeColon CancerEndoscopyGross MorphologyPrognostic FactorStage II

Identifiers

PMID41639274
PMCPMC12872715

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.