title: K-RAS mutation profile in Puerto Rican patients with colorectal cancer: trends from April 2009 to January 2011.
abstract: The frequency of K-RAS mutations ranges between 30% and 48% among the Caucasian, Asian, and European populations and these mutations are predictors of response to EGFR therapies. We sought to determine the expression of K-RAS gene mutations among colorectal cancer patients in PuertoRico. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the expression of mutant K-RAS among colorectal cancer patients in Puerto Rico between April 2009 and January 2011. The mutant expression of K-RAS was found in 39% (n=195) of the Puerto Rican population, and was more common in the age group of 51-69 years (53.8%) and in males (55.4%, p&gt;0.05). Moreover, mutant K-RAS was more commonly found in tumors of the proximal area (43.8%; p=0.03), with distant metastasis (43.3%, p=0.018), with a mucinous histotype (31.7% p&gt;0.05), and in ulcerated tumors (38.8%, p&gt;0.05). K-RAS mutations were observed on codon 12 (87.7%) and codon 13 (12.3%). The most frequent mutation on codon 12 was 12 ASP (39.5%), followed by 12 VAL (25.4%) that is associated with a significant decrease in overall cancer survival. The mutant expression of K-RAS in cases of rectum carcinoma was 39.5%, where the most common mutation was 12 VAL (37.5%). The frequency of K-RAS mutations in the Puerto Rican population here studied was 39% and mutant K-RAS was associated with advanced colorectal cancer stage, mucinous histotype, and ulcerated tumors.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Unit, Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Bayamon - Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Yelitza
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Candelaria
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miranda-Diaz
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hunter-Mellado
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins