title: KRAS and BRAF mutational status in colon cancer from Albanian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous clinical studies have shown that anti-EGFR therapies are effective only in a subset of patients with colorectal cancer. Mutations in the KRAS and BRAF genes have been confirmed as negative predictors of the response to EGFR-targeted therapies.In this study we evaluated KRAS and BRAF status in 159 colorectal cancer samples obtained from the University of Tirana.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated KRAS mutations in codons 12, 13, 61, 146 and in codon 600 of BRAF by direct sequencing. 90 patients were male (57%) and 69 female (43%); the patients' ages ranged from 17 to 85 (median 61.7). 24 patient were stage I, 36 stage II, 84 stage III and 15 stage IV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 159 cases, 28 (17,6%) showed KRAS mutation (13 G12D, 4 G12C, 4 G12V, 3 G12A, 2 G13 D, 1 G12S and 1 A146T), and 10 (6,3%) showed BRAF mutation (all V600E). No significant correlations between KRAS and BRAF mutations and various clinicopathological parameters was found.This is the first report of KRAS and BRAF status in Albanian patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and though the relatively small sample size might not provide enough statistics power.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of KRAS and BRAF mutation analysis could be used in the selection of patients for anti-EGFR therapy.
  The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_187.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinetti
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadare
authors.forename: Mehdiu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alimehmeti
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colarossi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Canzonieri
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.affiliation: IOM Ricerca Srl, Catania, Italy. lorenzo.memeo@grupposamed.com.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Memeo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000415:Albania; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: C117307:KRAS protein, human; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)