Moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (colon)
Adenocarcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor, originating from glandular epithelium of the colorectal mucosa. It invades the wall, infiltrating the muscularis mucosae, the submucosa (photo) and thence the muscularis propria. (Notice the end-point of muscularis mucosae. At left from this point, muscularis mucosae is continuous. At right from this point, muscularis mucosae is destroyed by tumor cells invasion.) Tumor cells describe irregular tubular structures, harboring stratification, multiple lumens, reduced stroma ("back to back" aspect). Depending on glandular architecture, cellular pleomorphism and mucosecretion of the predominant pattern, adenocarcinoma may present 3 degrees of differentiation: well, moderate and poorly differentiate. (H&E, ob. x10)
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