Aims and background: The mortality of colorectal cancer continues to stagnate despite the development of new therapeutic approaches. Therefore, identifying high-risk population groups could contribute to the prevention of a considerable part of deaths caused by colorectal tumors.
Methods: Fifty patients with colon cancer and 50 patients with other, nonmalignant diseases were selected for the study. Expression of the c-myc, Ha-ras and p53 genes was determined in the peripheral leukocytes of the participants.
Results: Marked elevations of the expression of all three investigated genes were seen in the colon cancer patients when compared to the controls.
Conclusions: Our investigations showed that increases in the expression of c-myc, Ha-ras and p53 genes can be demonstrated in the peripheral leukocytes of colon cancer patients. By applying our method to clinical investigations, individuals with a high risk of having developed colon cancer may be identified and early diagnosis may be established.