Detection of KRAS Gene mutations in paraguayan patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

The mutational status of the KRAS has been consider as a biomarker for biological treatments after several clinical trials carried out in patient with metastatic colorectal cancer. Recent reports indicate that the KRAS gene mutation frequencies in CRC patients from Asia, Europe, and Latin America are between 24%, 36%, and 40%, respectively. Paraguay does not have this kind of reports, despite registering an average of 75 new cases of patients diagnosed with CRC per year only in the General Surgery Service of the "Central Hospital -Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS)". The present work has implemented this routine analysis, a mandatory prerequisite for the administration of drugs based on therapeutic antibodies and revealed a KRAS gene mutation frequency of 34% in Paraguayan patients with CRC who attend the IPS Central Hospital Services.