Molecular staging individualizing cancer management

Although the most important prognostic and predictive marker in colorectal cancer is tumor cells in lymph nodes, approximately 30% of patients who are node-negative die from occult metastases. Molecular staging employing specific markers and sensitive detection technologies has emerged as a powerful platform to assess prognosis in node-negative colon cancer. Integrating molecular staging into algorithms that individualize patient management will require validation and the definition of relationships between occult tumor cells, prognosis, and responses to chemotherapy.