Prognostic factors in colon cancer.

A prognostic factor is an aspect of the cancer or a characteristic of the person that the doctor takes into consideration when making a prognosis. A predictive factor influences how the cancer responds to a certain treatment. Prognostic and predictive factors are often discussed together. In the case of colon cancer, prognostic factors make it possible to guide therapeutic decisions more precisely, particularly in the field of chemotherapy, which has proved its effectiveness in terms of survival, and to guide postoperative surveillance more precisely.There are many prognostic factors for colon cancer, but the only ones that are currently validated are surgical excision and TNM staging. In light of the progress made over the last few decades in terms of management, we need to validate and/or research other prognostic factors.