Colorectal cancer tumour markers and biomarkers: Recent therapeutic advances

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among females and third among males worldwide. It also contributes significantly to cancer-related deaths, despite the continuous progress in diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Biomarkers currently play an important role in the detection and treatment of patients with colorectal cancer. Risk stratification for screening might be augmented by finding new biomarkers which alone or as a complement of existing tests might recognize either the predisposition or early stage of the disease. Biomarkers have also the potential to change diagnostic and treatment algorithms by selecting the proper chemotherapeutic drugs across a broad spectrum of patients. There are attempts to personalise chemotherapy based on presence or absence of specific biomarkers. In this review, we update review published last year and describe our understanding of tumour markers and biomarkers role in CRC screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Goal of future research is to identify those biomarkers that could allow a non-invasive and cost-effective diagnosis, as well as to recognise the best prognostic panel and define the predictive biomarkers for available treatments.

Performance of prognostic scores and staging systems in predicting long‐term survival outcomes after surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

“…To this end, some investigators have proposed that a composite biomarker profile that combines clinical factors (CEA and CA19‐9) with pathological biomarkers may improve the accuracy of prognostic models and guide treatment in patients with resected ICC . The potential of this approach has been proven with the recent successes of biomarker based prediction in breast cancer and colorectal cancer …”

“…34 The potential of this approach has been proven with the recent successes of biomarker based prediction in breast cancer and colorectal cancer. 35,36 Results of the current study should be interpreted in the context of several limitations. The inclusion of multiple centers did not allow for the standardization of operative approach or treatment-based protocols.…”

Detection of KRAS Mutations in Plasma DNA Using a fully Automated Rapid Detection System in Colorectal Cancer Patients

“…KRAS mutations were frequently detected in systemic metastatic cancers, and these were newly detected after acquired resistance to anti-EGFR antibody. Recently, mutation analysis using peripheral blood-socalled liquid biopsy-has been applied to colorectal cancer [9,10,[23][24][25]. In most published reports, quantitative PCR and BEAMing were used for detection with plasma DNA.…”

¿Existen ventajas clínicas al evaluar el estado de los genes KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, PTEN y HER2 en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal?

“…Además de la mutación del gen KRAS, las mutaciones de PIK3CA y PTEN pueden ser predictivas de falta de efectividad del tratamiento anti-EGFR en el cáncer colorrectal metastásico 98,99 (tabla 4). Se reporta que hasta en 24 % de los pacientes con gen KRAS nativo, se presentan mutaciones en los genes PIK3CA o BRAF 100,101 .…”