EVALUATION OF NEW APPROACHES AND DISCOVERY OF MOLECULAR MARKERS RELATED TO THE NON-INVASIVE FECAL-BASED DETECTION OF COLORECTAL CANCER AND CLINICAL PREDICTION OF TREATMENT RESPONSE

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently occurring malignancies and leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Numerous challenges exist pertaining to the detection and treatment of this prevalent disease. Existing screening modalities such as fecal occult blood test and colonoscopy either lack sensitivity and specificity or are too invasive and costly. Despite advances in the therapeutic management of CRC, resistance to fundamental therapies such as 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and cetuximab remains a relevant problem, calling for effective strategies for a priori prediction of clinical response. To address these challenges, the overall goal of this thesis was to evaluate new approaches and identify molecular markers that can facilitate the non-invasive fecal-based screening of CRC and enhance the clinical prediction of treatment response.