Personalizing therapy for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Several important scientific discoveries in the molecular biology of CRC have changed clinical practice in oncology. These included the comprehensive genome-wide profiling of CRC by the Cancer Genome Atlas Network, the discovery of mutations along the RAS-RAF signaling pathway as major determinants of response to antibodies against the epidermal growth factor receptor, the elucidation of new molecular subsets of CRC or gene signatures that may predict clinical outcome after adjuvant chemotherapy, and the innovative targeting of the family of vascular endothelial growth factor and receptors. These new data have allowed oncologists to individualize drug therapy on the basis of a patient's tumor's unique molecular profile, especially in the management of metastatic CRC. This review article will discuss the progress of personalized medicine in the contemporary management of CRC.