Onkológia 6/2013

Personalized medicine approach in metastatatic colorectal cancer

The treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is based on systemic palliative chemotherapy in combination with biologic therapy. Cetuximab and panitumumab block the epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) and thus selectively influence proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and metastasis of tumor cells. They are both effective in patients with KRAS „wild type“ mCRC, so the identification of mutations of KRAS is predictive factor of resistence to anti-EGFR antibodies. Other activating RAS mutation may also be negative predictive biomarkers for anti-EGFR therapy.

Keywords: metastatic colorectal cancer, monoclonal antibodies, RAS mutational status.