Current applications of molecular pathology in colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Molecular pathology is playing an increasingly important role in the treatment and overall management of patients with colorectal carcinoma. Three distinct genetic pathways have been identified that play a role in carcinogenesis: the chromosomal instability pathway, the microsatellite instability pathway, and the CpG island methylator phenotype pathway. Certain genetic mutations, some of which overlap with the aforementioned pathways, can also indicate that a carcinoma patient has a genetic predisposition syndrome, such as familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome, and hamartomatous polyposis syndromes. A variety of advanced methods, including next-generation sequencing, are available to test for these and other mutations, such as targetable mutations that may allow tailoring of a treatment regimen to a patient’s specific cancer (e.g., KRAS and BRAF mutations). The possible future role of testing circulating tumor cells is also addressed. New mutations and syndromes continue to be discovered, ensuring that our knowledge of colorectal carcinoma and our ability to treat it will advance in the future.