Morphological and molecular heterogeneity in colorectal neoplasms with K-RAS mutation. A report of two cases

Hans Bösmüller; Wolfgang Kranewitter; Gerald Webersinke; Holger Rumpold; Margit Hackl; Falko Fend

doi:10.1016/j.prp.2011.03.004

Morphological and molecular heterogeneity in colorectal neoplasms with K-RAS mutation. A report of two cases

Pathol Res Pract. 2011 Jun 15;207(6):399-402. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2011.03.004. Epub 2011 May 4.

Authors

Hans Bösmüller¹, Wolfgang Kranewitter, Gerald Webersinke, Holger Rumpold, Margit Hackl, Falko Fend

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Pathology, Krankenhaus Barmherzige Schwestern Linz, Seilerstätte 4, A-4020 Linz, Austria. [email protected]

PMID: 21536390
DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2011.03.004

Abstract

Approximately forty percent of colorectal cancers (CRC) are characterized by activating mutations of the K-RAS gene. Determination of K-RAS mutational status as a predictive marker for anti-EGFR therapy is usually based on the assumption of intratumoral homogeneity. We present two cases of CRC in which morphologically distinct tumor components were associated with different activating mutations of K-RAS in one patient and a mutated and a non-mutated portion in the second patient, as demonstrated by laser microdissection and consecutive molecular analyses.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
DNA Mutational Analysis
ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
ErbB Receptors / metabolism
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Male
Microdissection
Middle Aged
Molecular Targeted Therapy
Mutation*
Phenotype
Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
ras Proteins / genetics*

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents
KRAS protein, human
Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Proto-Oncogene Proteins
EGFR protein, human
ErbB Receptors
Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
ras Proteins