| Theme |
Small colorectal cancer with high malignant potential |
| Title |
Distinctive features of small metastatic colorectal cancers |
| Author |
Yusuke Takahashi |
Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital / Department of gastroenterological surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University |
| Author |
Tetsuya Sato |
Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University |
| Author |
Genta Sawada |
Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital / Department of gastroenterological surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University |
| Author |
Koshi Mimori |
Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital |
| Author |
Masaki Mori |
Department of gastroenterological surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University |
| [ Summary ] |
There are some colorectal cance (CRC) cases with small size tumors and higher grades of malignancy. It is not clear that genes or pathways involving to cancer metastasis, regardless of tumor size, are associated with these tumors. AS a result, we studied what type of genes or pathways characterize smaller tumors with higher malignancy by referring to previous reports concerned with tumor size or metastasis associated genes and our cDNA microarray data concerning CRC tissues. The expression profile for small CRC with higher malignancy rates was characterized by down-regulation of Ras signaling pathways and Wnt signaling pathways, and up-regulation of anti-apoptotic activity. It is thought that such pathways are associated with small tumor size and formation of metastatic sites of small CRC with higher malignancy. |