[Diagnosis of colorectal cancer from DNA level]

The inherited cancer-inducing disease familial polyposis coli (FPC) provides an excellent model not only for studying tumor progression in colorectal cancer but also for elucidating molecular mechanisms in general oncogenesis. This paper reviewed recent remarkable progresses of molecular mechanisms in colorectal tumorigenesis. This is concerned with the various kinds of genetic alterations that accumulate in the development from normal mucosa to adenoma, and then to adenocarcinoma in comparison with FPC and sporadic cases. This review included also information on the localization of FPC major gene. These observations indicate that in cases of colorectal tumorigenesis several genetic alterations may be involved, including activation of K-ras gene, deregulated expression of c-myc gene or c-fos gene and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes such as p53 and DCC genes, as well as the loss of heterozygosity. The observation suggest that adenomas will have undergone several gene or chromosome mutations before reaching to the fully malignant state. Therefore, DNA diagnosis for colorectal tumors in the clinical level may contribute to more accurate prognosis and better results for further therapy.