[A comparative morphological study of gastric and colorectal cancer--differences in early type IIc and advanced type 4 cancer].

Five hundred and nineteen gastric and 883 colorectal cancers have been compared macroscopically according to their Japanese classification. Most early cancers were found to be of a protruded (I and IIa) type in the intestine and a depressed (IIc) type in the stomach, and it is felt that their histogenesis in the mucosa may play an important role in causing this difference. Type 4 advanced cancer is common in the stomach, but rare in the intestine. Histologically, most type 4 gastric cancers present scirrhous findings. Type 4 colorectal cancers can be classified into 4 groups based on their pathological characteristics, such as lymphangiosis, muconodular, mixed, and scirrhous types.