K-RAS mutation in the screening, prognosis and treatment of cancer

BL Parsons, F Meng - Biomarkers in medicine, 2009 - Future Medicine
BL Parsons, F Meng
Biomarkers in medicine, 2009Future Medicine
The potential use of K-RAS mutation as a cancer screening biomarker has been
investigated for many years. Numerous associations between K-RAS mutation and various
cancers have been established, but these associations have not been translated into
effective, cost-efficient cancer screening strategies. This lack of progress may be due to the
existence of K-RAS mutation in nontumor tissues and/or using detection, rather than
quantitation, of K-RAS mutation as the endpoint for cancer risk categorization. K-RAS …
The potential use of K-RAS mutation as a cancer screening biomarker has been investigated for many years. Numerous associations between K-RAS mutation and various cancers have been established, but these associations have not been translated into effective, cost-efficient cancer screening strategies. This lack of progress may be due to the existence of K-RAS mutation in nontumor tissues and/or using detection, rather than quantitation, of K-RAS mutation as the endpoint for cancer risk categorization. K-RAS mutation appears to be a useful prognostic biomarker for colon cancer. Recent progress toward sensitive and quantitative mutation characterization and the successful use of K-RAS mutation in a personalized medicine approach to targeted biological therapy selection are likely to re-direct and expand the use of K-RAS mutation as a cancer biomarker in the near future.
Future Medicine