KRAS and NRAS genes mutations as biomarkers in the therapy of colorectal cancer and the basic methods of their detection

The role of KRAS and NRAS mutation detection in determining the therapy strategy for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumors in men and women, which is a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms consisting of subclasses with different molecular and clinical characteristics, and, as a consequence, patients with different types of tumors require different treatment protocols. Among the predictive factors of treatment response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the most studied are the genes of the RAS family (KRAS, NRAS). Determination of RAS status is the first step in individual selection of drug therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients with certain mutations in KRAS and NRAS genes are resistant to anti-EGFR therapy and have a lower median survival than WT (wild type) genotypes, indicating a negative prognosis in the presence of mutations.