Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
28:15
Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in Field Defects During Progression to Colon Cancer
Published on: July 29, 2010
Colorectal cancer prognosis: is it all mutation, mutation, mutation?
1Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (formerly Pathology and Microbiology), School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. Bass.Hassan@Bristol.ac.uk
Gut
|August 16, 2005
Summary
Identifying genetic mutations in colorectal cancer is key for prognosis. K-ras mutations, unlike p53 or APC, are linked to poorer survival in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Colorectal cancer affects 500,000 individuals globally each year.
- Predicting patient prognosis and treatment response remains a significant clinical challenge.
- Genetic mutations in tumors are increasingly recognized as influencing colorectal cancer outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between specific genetic mutations and overall survival in colorectal cancer patients.
- To determine if mutations in K-ras, p53, or APC genes are associated with patient prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of genetic mutations (K-ras, p53, APC) in human colorectal cancer tumor samples.
- Correlation of identified mutations with patient overall survival data.
Main Results:
- Mutations in the K-ras gene were found to be significantly associated with poorer overall survival.
- Mutations in the p53 and APC genes did not show a significant association with overall survival in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- K-ras mutation status is a potential biomarker for predicting poorer prognosis in colorectal cancer.
- Targeting K-ras may be a strategy for improving outcomes in a subset of colorectal cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Cancer
Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
02:07Tumor Progression
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
01:20Mismatch Repair
Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
02:07Tumor Progression
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...