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- Title
SCREENING FOR CURABLE COLORECTAL TUMORS: AN APPROACH FOR THE 21st CENTURY.
- Authors
Stravitz, R. Todd; Sanyal, Arun J.
- Abstract
Mutations in ras proto-oncogenes have been demonstrated in 40-50% of sporadic colorectal tumors. Using molecular probes for mutant and wild-type ras DNA sequences, the authors report the first identification of ras gene mutations in the stool of patients with colorectal tumors. Twenty-four patients were chosen randomly (after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer or adenoma larger than 1 cm indiameter), from whom stool was obtained before bowel preparation. Tumor DNA was isolated and the first exon of the ras gene was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning, and sequencing. Nine of 24 tumors (37%) contained ras mutations, in agreement with previous studies. Stool obtained from these nine patients, three without tumor ras mutations, and three without colorectal tumors, was then purified, and the isolated ras DNA was subjected to PCR and examined by Southern blot analysis. Surprisingly, ras mutations were clearly demonstrated in the stools of eight of the nine patients whose tumors contained ras mutations, and the amino acid substitutions matched those of the colorectal tumor in all cases. Two patients with adenomas as well as two patients with right colonic tumors were among the eight with ras mutations in their stools. In contrast, DNA from the stool of patients without ras mutations in their tumors or without colorectal tumors hybridized only to wild-type ras probes. The authors propose that molecular genetic screening of stool may be feasible in the detection of potentially curable colorectal tumors.
- Subjects
MOLECULAR genetics; GENETIC mutation; PROTO-oncogenes; COLON cancer; CANCER diagnosis; CANCER patients
- Publication
American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 1993, Vol 88, Issue 1, p148
- ISSN
0002-9270
- Publication type
Article