Impact of Patient Age on Molecular Alterations of Left-Sided Colorectal Tumors.
CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of genetic counseling and screening in younger CRC patients. MSI-H and TMB-high tumors could benefit from immune-checkpoint inhibitors, now approved for the treatment of MSI-H/deficient mismatch repair metastatic CRC patients. Finally, histone modifiers could serve as a new promising therapeutic target. With confirmatory studies, these results may influence our approach to younger adults with CRC.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The increasing rate of colorectal cancers (CRC), primarily distal tumors, among young adults poses a global health issue. This study investigates the molecular differences between younger (≤45 years old) and older (≥65) adults with left-sided CRCs. Younger patients more frequently harbor mutations in genes associated with cancer-predisposing syndromes. Higher rates of microsatellite instability-high and tumor mutational burden-high tumors occur in younger patients, who could benefit from immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, histone modifiers are more frequently mutated in younger patients and could serve as a new promising therapeutic target. This study provides new insights into mutations that may guide development of novel tailored therapy in younger CRC patients.
PMID: 30018131 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The Oncologist - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Puccini A, Lenz HJ, Marshall JL, Arguello D, Raghavan D, Korn WM, Weinberg BA, Poorman K, Heeke AL, Philip PA, Shields AF, Goldberg RM, Salem ME Tags: Oncologist Source Type: research
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