Table 3

 Patient demographics and characteristics of colorectal cancers evaluated for BRAF mutations

CharacteristicAll patients (n = 145)Patients with BRAF mutation (n = 42)Patients without BRAF mutation (n = 103)p Value*
HNPCC, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer.
*We used either Pearson’s χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test where appropriate to compare all variables except mean age at operation, for which we used an unpaired t test.
†Clinicopathological stage was classified according to the criteria of UICC-TNM classification.34
Age at operation (y) (mean (SE))65.6 (1.3)73.5 (2.2)62.3 (1.4)<0.0001
Sex0.006
    Male76 (52%)14 (33%)62 (60%)
    Female69 (48%)28 (67%)41 (40%)
Site relative to splenic flexure<0.0001
    Right sided75 (52%)35 (85%)40 (39%)
    Left sided68 (48%)6 (15%)62 (61%)
    Unknown211
Family history0.002
    Yes (HNPCC)18 (12%)0 (0%)18 (17%)
    No (sporadic)127 (88%)42 (100%)85 (83%)
Histological grade<0.0001
    Well differentiated2 (1%)0 (0%)2 (2%)
    Moderately differentiated87 (60%)15 (36%)72 (70%)
    Poorly differentiated51 (35%)26 (61%)25 (24%)
    Unknown514
Mucinous histology<0.0001
    Present33 (33%)22 (61%)11 (17%)
    Absent67 (67%)14 (39%)53 (83%)
Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes0.38
    Numerous14 (12%)9 (26%)5 (6%)
    Mild infiltration32 (28%)14 (41%)20 (23%)
    No infiltration72 (60%)11 (33%)61 (71%)
Clinicopathological stage†0.68
    I22 (15%)6 (14%)16 (16%)
    II72 (50%)23 (55%)49 (48%)
    III41 (28%)11 (26%)30 (29%)
    IV8 (6%)1 (2%)7 (7%)