A study led by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester has revealed previously unknown genetic causes of colorectal cancer (CRC).
Published in Nature, the new research offers an unprecedented view of the genetic landscape of CRC and its response to treatment.
CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer globally, with more than 44,000 new cases of the disease diagnosed in the UK every year.
Researchers analysed 2,023 bowel cancers from the 100,000 Genomes Project led by Genomics England and NHS England to identify new gene faults that lead to CRC and uncovered new CRC cancer sub-groups with specific genetic characteristics that affect how cancer behaves and responds to treatment.
In total, the team identified over 250 key genes that play a crucial role in CRC, as well as four novel common sub-groups based on genetic features, along with several rare CRC sub-groups, which have different patient outcomes and may respond differently to therapy.
In addition, the team identified a variety of genetic mutation causes across different regions of the colorectum, highlighting differences in CRC causes between individuals, which could potentially be targeted with existing treatments currently used across other cancers.
Commenting on the findings, co-lead researcher and ICR’s professor of cancer genomics, Richard Houlston, said: “This research is a great insight into the biology of CRC, uncovering the clues as to how it develops, grows and responds to treatments… Future studies [can] use these findings to develop tailored treatments for people with CRC based on their genetics.”
Dr Henry Wood, lecturer in translational bioinformatics from pathology, University of Leeds’ School of Medicine, added: “We are now in a position to investigate the importance of the microbiome in the development of these cancers and whether we can change it to influence the tumour and improve patient outcomes.”
Earlier this year, in June, Bristol Myers Squibb’s KRAS inhibitor Krazati (adagrasib) received accelerated approval from the US Food and Drug Administration alongside cetuximab as a targeted treatment option for adults with locally advanced or metastatic cases of CRC who are carrying the KRASG12C mutation.