Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency and Lynch syndrome among consecutive Arab Bedouins with colorectal cancer in Israel.

We assessed the molecular characteristics and the frequency of mutations in mismatch-repair genes among Bedouin patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Israel. Bedouin patients with a diagnosis of CRC at a major hospital in the southern part of Israel were deemed eligible for this study. The primary screening method was immunohistochemical staining for mismatch-repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2).

The presence of anti-GRP78 antibodies in the serum of patients with colorectal carcinoma: a potential biomarker for early cancer detection.

Background: The identification of new biomarkers is required for early diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma patients (CRC), since about 20% of these patients are initially diagnosed with a distant metastatic disease. GRP78, a heat shock protein, functions also as a cell surface signaling receptor of cells under physiological stress. GRP78 was found to be expressed on the cell surface of various tumor cells.

Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Findings in PTEN Mutation-Positive Cowden Syndrome Patients Participating in an Active Surveillance Program.

Objectives: Cowden syndrome (CS), associated with germline PTEN mutations, is an autosomal-dominant disorder with increased frequencies of thyroid and breast cancers. Recent reports document the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) polyps and increased risk of colon cancer in PTEN mutation carriers. Studies to date, however, have not been based on mutation carriers undergoing active, systematic, routine-interval GI surveillance.