The pattern of KRAS mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective audit from Sri Lanka

Activating mutations in the KRAS gene, found in approximately 53% of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) cases, can render epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors ineffective. Regional differences in these mutations have been reported. This is the first study which aims to describe the pattern of KRAS mutations in a Sri Lankan cohort of mCRC patients.

The KRAS genotypes detected in mCRC patients which have been maintained in an anonymized database were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 108 colorectal tissue samples tested, 25 (23.0%) had KRAS mutations. Overall, there were 68 (63.0%) males and 40 (37.0%) females. Among the KRAS positive cases, there were 14 (56.0%) males and 11 (44.0%) females. Their age distribution ranged from 29 to 85 years with a median age of 61 years. There were 15 patients (60.0%) with point mutations in codon 12 while 10 (40.0%) had a single mutation in codon 13. The most common KRAS mutation identified was p.Gly13Asp (40.0%), followed by p.Gly12Val (24.0%). Other mutations included p.Gly12Cys (12.0%), p.Gly12Ser (12.0%), p.Gly12Asp (8.0%), and p.Gly12Arg (4.0%). The codon 13 mutation was a G>A transition (40.0%), while G>T transversions (32.0%), G>A transitions (24.0%), and G>C transversions (4.0%) were found in the codon 12 mutations. The frequency of KRAS mutations was similar to that reported for Asian patients. However, in contrast to several published studies, the G>A transition in codon 12 (c.35G>A; p.Gly12Asp), was not the most common mutation within codon 12 in our cohort. This may be a reflection of the genetic heterogeneity in the pattern of KRAS mutations in mCRC patients but valid conclusions cannot be drawn from these preliminary findings due to the small size of the study sample.