IBD-associated colorectal cancer ‘differs from sporadic CRC’
Colorectal cancers (CRC) that evolve from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are genetically distinct from sporadic CRC, a study shows.
The findings may be relevant to prognosis and, eventually, to treatment options, the investigators say.
The team from Finland used whole-genome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays, RNA sequencing, genome-wide methylation analysis and immunohistochemistry to analyse tumour tissue and corresponding normal tissue from 31 patients with IBD who had developed CRC.
“Strikingly, the epithelial tumour subtype most commonly seen in sporadic CRC — consensus molecular subtype (CMS) 2 — was completely absent among IBD-associated tumours,” said lead author Dr Kristiina Rajamäki of the University of Helsinki.
