Identification of candidate biomarkers of intrinsic and acquired resistance to anti-angiogenic agents in metastatic colorectal cancer.

While colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most deadly cancers in the western world, we are making steady progress against this disease. The median survival of patients with metastatic CRC is about 2 years, thanks to the development of new chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. Both intrinsic and acquired resistance to these agents remains the main problem causing treatment failure. Many factors can affect drug sensitivity. Some mechanisms have already been unraveled such as KRAS mutations in patients treated with anti-EGFR targeted agents. Until now, not many candidate biomarkers for intrinsic and acquired resistance to VEGF targeted agents are known. Evaluation of resistance is only possible by prospective collection and analysis of blood and tumor tissue. We would like to achieve this goal by screening for those biomarkers in large trials from which we have access to plasma samples and/or tumor tissue and subsequently validate these markers in a prospective academic driven study.

Keywords:Colorectal cancer, Acquired resistance, Biomarkers, Angiogenesis

Disciplines:Morphological sciences, Oncology