| Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third highest cause of cancer-related mortality in the western world. Globally, the annual economic burden for CRC is estimated to be in the range of $US 14 - 22 billion. Early detection and staging strategies, together with personalized therapies based upon individual tumor characteristics, are generally considered as the best way to improve patient outcomes and reduce the economic burden of CRC. To achieve early molecular diagnosis and pre-cancer detection, the project will aim to identify and validate biomarkers in stool DNA and serum/tumor samples in order to develop genomic and proteomic tests as well as molecular MRI-based virtual colonoscopy. Clinical needs (e.g. risk of recurrence, response to drug therapy, image guided surgery) in primary and metastatic CRC will be addressed by establishing and validating biomarkers using genome wide and candidate gene approaches. For tumor staging and response monitoring, these novel biomarkers will be further developed into targeted imaging agents for MRI and PET-CT. This consortium brings together most of the major Dutch research groups in translational CRC medicine. Through close collaborations between these research groups and industrial partners, leaders in the fields of early molecular detection, personalized therapies and molecular imaging are well represented. |
