Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third leading cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Estimates suggest that > 1.9 million cases of CRC were diagnosed in 2020; in that same year, 0.9 million deaths were attributed to CRC. The global incidence of CRC is projected to reach 3.2 million in 2040, largely as a result of aging, population growth, and environmental risk factors related to westernization of lifestyle and diet. While traditional chemotherapy typically only extends survival for a few months in metastatic CRC, advances in surgical approaches and therapeutics are improving outcomes for many patients. Precision medicine, which seeks to identify the ideal treatment for individual patients by considering the molecular characteristics and specific vulnerabilities of their disease, is emerging as a promising and potentially practice-changing approach to the management of metastatic CRC. Recently, the use of next-generation sequencing has led to the development of a widening array of therapeutic options that aim to precisely match drugs with molecular alterations.
How familiar are you with genetic testing and precision medicine for CRC? Check your knowledge with this quick quiz.
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Cite this: Ali Alqahtani. Fast Five Quiz: Precision Medicine and Genetic Testing for Colorectal Cancer - Medscape - Jun 17, 2022.
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