title: [Colorectal carcinogenesis: update].
abstract: Recent progresses in molecular biology have allowed us to identify at least two different molecular mechanisms implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis: chromosomal instability and genetic instability. These two molecular mechanisms are supported by two hereditary syndromes that predispose to colorectal cancers: familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome. In spite of these two different mechanisms, the signalling pathways implicated the malignant transformation of colonic epithelial cells seem to be the same. They are essentially represented by APC/beta-catenin, TGFbeta, RAS and TP53 signalling pathways. This new molecular classification of colorectal cancers is important for the understanding of molecular alterations responsible for tumour development but also for the management of patients.
authors.affiliation: U490 Laboratoire de toxicologie moléculaire, 45, rue des Saints-Péres, 75006 Paris.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lièvre
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laurent-Puig
mesh_terms: D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003123:Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D016153:Genes, Suppressor; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009154:Mutation; D009857:Oncogenes; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction