Tumor budding and survival after potentially curative resection of node-positive colon cancer

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tumor budding and other pathology features and overall survival after resection of clinicopathological stage III colon cancer. METHODS: The number of buds and other histopathological features were assessed in 477 patients who were operated on between 1971 and 2001, with follow-up to December 2006. Overall survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. RESULTS: The number of buds was dichotomized as low (0 to 8) vs high (≥9). High budding was more common in men, in high-grade tumors, in the presence of venous invasion, and where the tumor had involved a free serosal surface, but budding was not associated with 8 other clinical and pathological features. The 5-year survival rate for patients with 0 to 8 buds was 51.0% (95% confidence interval, 44.9-55.1), whereas that for patients with 9 or more buds was 33.9% (95% confidence interval, 25.2-42.8). This association, however, disappeared after adjustment for other variables independently associated with survival (hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.54; P = .139). CONCLUSION: In stage III colon cancer, tumor budding did not provide additional independent prognostic information beyond that given by routine pathology reporting.