Recent Advances and Challenges in Colorectal Cancer: From Molecular Research to Treatment
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 1376
Special Issue Editor
Interests: global cancer research; colorectal cancer; pancreatic cancer; cancer biology; cancer metastasis; cancer biomarkers; molecular biology; cell survival; apoptosis; signaling pathways; medical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the majority of cases, CRC begins as a benign adenomatous polyp, transitions into an advanced adenoma, and progresses to an invasive cancer. The best-studied molecular pathways involved in CRC can be broadly classified, based on their genetic mutation status, as oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways. However, CRC is heterogeneous, and challenges exist in understanding the full spectrum of mechanisms that initiate its development and drive progression and metastasis, as well as in determining their responsiveness to anticancer therapeutic strategies.
Over the last decade, there have been major advances in the molecular profiling of CRC, significantly improving our understanding of CRC tumor heterogeneity and providing results for diagnostic classification and targeted treatment strategies. As a result, CRC treatment, particularly metastatic CRC, has evolved significantly, reflected by the use of many chemotherapeutic combinations and the integration of novel targeted therapies into clinical practice. However, the efficacy of these agents is often limited due to the rapid evolution of drug resistance and cancer recurrence.
Tumor heterogeneity is one of the main mechanisms of drug resistance in CRC, mainly due to genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, understanding CRC’s molecular complexity is required to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to reduce drug resistance and enhance patient survival.
Dr. Premila Leiphrakpam
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- tumor biology
- tumor heterogeneity
- molecular mechanism involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis
- compensatory pathways
- cancer screening
- cancer biomarkers discovery
- tumor molecular profiling methods
- early cancer diagnosis
- novel therapeutic strategies
- targeted therapies
- drug resistance
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