The prognostic value of KRAS mutations in patients with colorectal cancer

Our aim was to evaluate the KRAS genotypes of Japanese colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and to assess the effect of these genotypes on clinical outcome. A total of 99 patients with stage I-IV CRC who underwent resection were prospectively studied for KRAS mutations by direct sequencing. KRAS mutations were found in 37 (37.4%) of 99 patients. Of these, 11.1% were the KRAS p.G13D mutation and the remaining 26.2% were other KRAS mutations. The cumulative 5-year survival rates for patients with wild-type KRAS, KRAS 12 and KRAS p.G13D mutations were 81.4, 61.4 and 42.0%, respectively (P=0.0397). The KRAS genotype had no effect on stage IV patient prognosis without anti-epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody therapy. However, in stage I-III patients significant or trends in prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) were pathological T stage, lymphatic vessel involvement and KRAS p.G13D. Multivariate analysis identified T4 pathological stage (P=0.0076) and the KRAS p.G13D mutation (P=0.0499) as the most significant independent prognostic factors associated with DFS. In Japanese CRC patients KRAS p.G13D had prognostic impact on DFS in stage I-III disease, while the prognosis of stage IV patients without anti-EGFR antibody therapy was unaffected by KRAS status.