title: Molecular Evaluation of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Current Practice and Emerging Concepts.
abstract: Molecular testing in colorectal cancer helps to address multiple clinical needs. Evaluating the mismatch repair pathway status is the most common use for molecular diagnostics and this testing provides prognostic information, guides therapeutic decisions and helps identify Lynch syndrome patients. For patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, testing for activating mutations in downstream components of the EGFR signaling pathway can identify patients who will benefit from anti-EGFR therapy. Emerging molecular tests for colorectal cancer will help further refine patient selection for targeted therapies and may provide new options for monitoring disease recurrence and the development of treatment resistance.
authors: Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: janowak@partners.org.
authors: Jonathan A
authors: JA
authors: Nowak
authors: Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Jason L
authors: JL
authors: Hornick
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D019175:DNA Methylation; D053843:DNA Mismatch Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
keywords: Colorectal cancer; EGFR pathway; Immune checkpoint blockade; Lynch syndrome; Microsatellite instability; Mismatch repair; PD-L1; Targeted therapy