Correlation between IHH molecular pathway activation and tumor location, sex, age, distant metastases, in patients with diagnosed colorectal adenocarcinoma. Experimental study

The Hedgehog (Hh) molecular pathway is especially important during embryonic development. Later in life it can affect the process of carcinogenesis. Specifically, in colon cancer, two ways of influencing the pathway are proposed, either with a paracrine role, where it creates a microenvironment conducive to carcinogenesis, or with its autocrine activation, promoting metastasis.