The Dukes system of staging colorectal carcinoma has gained the most widespread recognition.
- A: tumour confined to the bowel wall
- B: tumour extends across the bowel wall
- 80% 5 year survival
- if locally-invasive, dramatically worse prognosis
- C: involvement of regional nodes
- C1: only a few nodes are involved near the primary growth and the proximal nodes are free from metastases
- approximately 60% 5 year survival
- C2: proximal nodes are involved
- approximately 30% 5 year survival
- D: distant metastases
- less than 5% 5 year survival
It should be noted that this is an extended classification as Duke originally described only 3 classes A, B and C.
Other systems include:
- Kirklin's:
- A: confined to submucosa
- B1: confined to the bowel wall
- B2: through the bowel wall
- Astler-Coller:
- C1: nodal involvement primarily confined to bowel wall
- C2: nodal involvement through the bowel wall