PTEN Expression and Specific Clinicopathological Associations in Colorectal Carcinomas

Abstract

Introduction: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) refers to any cancerthat affects the colon and the rectum and it is a significantpublic health issue.1 It is the third most common cancer to bediagnosed globally and the fourth most frequent reason forcancer-related mortality. The diagnosis of CRCs occurs inplaces with affluent economies about 60% of the time. Thepresent study assessed phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN) expression in colorectal cancer and its associationwith tumor characteristics.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out over thecourse of 18 months, from 1 February 2021 to 31 July 2022, atthe SRMS IMS Bareilly Department of Pathology. The analysisincluded surgically removed specimens of colorectal cancerthat had been obtained at the SRMS, IMS Department ofPathology. The patient’s medical records provided the clinicalinformation.Results: Loss of PTEN expression was seen in 76.9% of CRCcases, while 23.1% of cases revealed positive expression.Maximum cases were of age>60 years and male predominancewas noted. In 62.5% of cases with tumor size ≥5 cm displayedloss of PTEN expression. In 52.5% loss of PTEN tumor caseswere histologically moderately differentiated, 37.5% were welldifferentiated, and 10% were poorly differentiated. 50% of caseswith pathologic tumor stage (pT3) and 65% left-sided tumorsshowed loss of PTEN expression.Conclusion: Loss of PTEN expression was observed in themajority of colorectal tumors along with its negative associationwith tumor size and pathologic tumor staging.