The prognostic significance of type IV collagen expression in colorectal carcinomas

he colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a leading malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract and second major cause of cancer-associated morbidity and mortality (1). The prognosis of CRC is, in general, predicted by the well-established Dukes' classification based on the two most powerful prognostic indicators: penetration of the bowel wall and local lymph node involvement (2). The Dukes' staging system remains the most important determinant of the decision to institute postoperative chemotherapy in both colonic and rectal cancer (3). Yet, in each Dukes' class, the survival of individual patients may vary considerably. This may occur because the classification reflects a stage in course of CRC rather than the biological behavior of the neoplasm (4). The differences in the survival rate of patients with the same stage of CRC disease have induced a search for new diagnostic