VITAMIN-D-RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AS A PREDICTIVE MARKER OF BIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR IN HUMAN COLORECTAL-CANCER

To date, none of the potential biological markers in colorectal cancer attempts to link the epidemiological data with the molecular biology of the disease. In an attempt to link dietary and epidemiological fact ors and to obtain a better understanding of the molecular biology of c olorectal cancer, we measured vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in 7 5 human colorectal cancers as a potential predictive marker of the bio logical behavior of the disease. Our results showed that a high level of VDR expression was associated with a favorable prognosis. The resul ts of the studies reinforce the potential role that VDR may play in th e development of the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Larger studies looking exclusively at stage I and stage II disease will hopefully le ad to the development of a sensitive hormonal marker that can be used to predict the biological behavior of colorectal cancer, identifying a t-risk patients in need of adjuvant treatment.