Fast Facts for Patients: Colorectal Cancer with KRAS Mutation

Download or read book Fast Facts for Patients: Colorectal Cancer with KRAS Mutation written by Rona Yaeger and published by Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers. This book was released on 2024-03-25 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is cancer that begins in the colon or rectum of the digestive system. KRAS is a protein that sends signals to cells telling them to divide. In healthy cells, KRAS can be switched on and off. In some cancer cells, gene mutations cause changes in the KRAS protein that mean it is constantly switched on, driving cells to divide. KRAS mutation status can be used to guide treatment decisions. New treatments that target a KRAS mutation have been approved for non-small cell lung cancer and are now being tested for CRC. Other treatments are also being developed.