Genetic profiling of colorectal tumors across populations microbiologystudy

Colorectal tumors can vary in molecular mutations among individuals and communities, according to a new study from Cedars-Sinai Cancer. Investigators reporting in the journal Cancer Research concluded that these differences could guide personalized precision approaches to colorectal cancer treatment.

“Colorectal cancers frequently have specific mutated genes, some of which can be targeted with existing targeted therapies,” said Jane Figueiredo, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and co-senior author of the study.

“We identified distinct molecular alterations of colorectal tumors that are more likely to occur in some patients based on their genetic ancestry. These results could help us target treatments and better understand differences in treatment response among different patient groups.”

Figueiredo said that molecularly driven therapies for colorectal cancer are rapidly expanding, can already target at least six distinct tumor compositions, and that further studies are needed to identify therapies to target the distinct features identified in this research.