Towards Personalized Treatment and Molecular Research on Colorectal Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females. The genome of colon cancer cells is altered at several sites as a result of point mutations or changes in chromosome integrity. The mutation-associated changes affect oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and several metastasis-related genes. Other factors including epigenetic alterations as well as the deregulation of miRNA-mediated control of mRNA functions, contribute to the incidence of cancer and metastasis.

Translational research has led to significant benefits in CRC screening and patient management, and precision medicine is fast becoming the aim of scientific research. Individualized treatment for CRC in both adjuvant and metastatic settings is increasingly emphasized. The introduction of molecular-targeted agents with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anti-angiogenic mechanisms of action has significantly improved patient outcome, but predictive markers of efficacy, especially for angiogenesis inhibition, are still lacking. Furthermore immunotherapy has recently been implemented into clinical practice.

A new approach to biomarker detection is the use of liquid biopsy. Free circulating tumor DNA (fctDNA) can be monitored quantitatively and qualitatively for diagnostic, prognostic, or predictive purposes. Liquid biopsy has the potential to replace tumor tissue analysis in clinical practice and could be used to monitor the extent of tumor burden and to detect tumor heterogeneity and molecular resistance to therapy.

Prof. Dr. Emanuela Scarpi
Dr. Paola Ulivi
Dr. Alessandro Passardi
Guest Editors

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• adenoma-carcinoma sequence
• predictive biomarkers of response and toxicity in the adjuvant and metastatic settings
• genetic and epigenetic marker
• immunotherapy
• prognostic biomarkers
• angiogenesis
• EGFR pathways
• tumor biopsies
• circulating tumor cells
• tumor heterogeneity
• early diagnosis
• screening
• liquid biopsy
• molecular pathology
• tumor biology