The clinical management of metastatic (stage IV) colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common challenge faced by surgeons and physicians. The last decade has seen exciting developments in the management of CRC, with signif...The clinical management of metastatic (stage IV) colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common challenge faced by surgeons and physicians. The last decade has seen exciting developments in the management of CRC, with significant improvements in prognosis for patients diagnosed with stage IV disease. Treatment options have expanded from 5-fluorouracil alone to a range of pharmaceutical and interventional therapies, improving survival, and providing a cure in selected cases. Enhanced understanding of the biologic pathways most important in colorectal carcinogenesis has led to a new generation of drugs showing promise in advanced disease. It is hoped that in the near future the treatment paradigm of metastatic CRC will be analogous to that of a chronic illness, rather than a rapidly terminal condition. This overview discusses the epidemiology of advanced CRC and currently available therapeutic options including medical, surgical, ablative and novel modalities in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer.展开更多
Wnt signaling has been shown to engage a multifunctional pathway that is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of normal and pathologic processes, including embryogenesis, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Rec...Wnt signaling has been shown to engage a multifunctional pathway that is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of normal and pathologic processes, including embryogenesis, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that Wnt5a expression is frequently seen in various human cancers. In contrast to the transforming members of the Wnt family, shown to be upregulated in many cancers, the role of Wnt5a is still controversial in its expression in different tumors. There is increasing evidence that Wnt5a has tumor suppressor function in some malignancies, and in addition, it elicits promigratory and proinvasive effects via the planar cell polarity pathway, which suggests that Wnt5a might be an effective marker for the progression and prognosis of tumors. Obviously, the outcome of Wnt5a signaling is dependent on a multitude of variables, ranging from receptors, downstream effectors and inhibitors, to external influences coming from the tumor microenvironment. This review will focus on the role of Wnt5a signaling and, as a consequence, provide an outline describing the expression and functions of Wnt5a in cancer progression.展开更多
文摘The clinical management of metastatic (stage IV) colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common challenge faced by surgeons and physicians. The last decade has seen exciting developments in the management of CRC, with significant improvements in prognosis for patients diagnosed with stage IV disease. Treatment options have expanded from 5-fluorouracil alone to a range of pharmaceutical and interventional therapies, improving survival, and providing a cure in selected cases. Enhanced understanding of the biologic pathways most important in colorectal carcinogenesis has led to a new generation of drugs showing promise in advanced disease. It is hoped that in the near future the treatment paradigm of metastatic CRC will be analogous to that of a chronic illness, rather than a rapidly terminal condition. This overview discusses the epidemiology of advanced CRC and currently available therapeutic options including medical, surgical, ablative and novel modalities in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer.
文摘Wnt signaling has been shown to engage a multifunctional pathway that is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of normal and pathologic processes, including embryogenesis, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that Wnt5a expression is frequently seen in various human cancers. In contrast to the transforming members of the Wnt family, shown to be upregulated in many cancers, the role of Wnt5a is still controversial in its expression in different tumors. There is increasing evidence that Wnt5a has tumor suppressor function in some malignancies, and in addition, it elicits promigratory and proinvasive effects via the planar cell polarity pathway, which suggests that Wnt5a might be an effective marker for the progression and prognosis of tumors. Obviously, the outcome of Wnt5a signaling is dependent on a multitude of variables, ranging from receptors, downstream effectors and inhibitors, to external influences coming from the tumor microenvironment. This review will focus on the role of Wnt5a signaling and, as a consequence, provide an outline describing the expression and functions of Wnt5a in cancer progression.