MIUR: PRINN 2002 _ 2002068383_002; 2002-2004: “Field cancerization”: epigenetic control, stem cells and angiogenesis in a model of colorectal carcinogenesis. Comparative analysis of #27394BB
Project Objectives
This Research Program aims at defining the prevalence of tumor dissemination in biological samples derived from patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer. A population of at least 150 patients, consecutively recruited among eligible patients treated at the two institutions involved in the research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, will be studied. In our experience, the target number of patients can be achieved within 12-15 months.
Tumor dissemination is studied on the following biological samples:
- Peripheral blood collected at the beginning of surgery, at the end of surgery, 30 days after surgery and 7 months after surgery or after adjuvant chemotherapy, if prescribed.
- Hematopoietic cells collected by bone marrow biopsy on the deadline used for peripheral blood collection.
- Regional lymph nodes derived from Dukes A and B patients and, where possible, sentinel lymph node that has been identified during surgery.
On these samples, histopathological studies, immunohistochemical studies and molecular analysis will be performed respectively, according to methods described in detail in section 2.5 of the specific Research Unit project. Therefore, this research aims at determining the epidemiology of these tumor dissemination markers in a population of patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer. It also aims at assessing whether, and to what extent, antiblastic chemotherapy affects the presence of cancer cells in the blood and bone marrow. Data derived from this analyze may serve as an appropriate database for further prognostic evaluations.
Start/End Date
December 16, 2002 - December 15, 2005
Principal Investigators
- Prof. Vito Michele Fazio – Principal Investigator
- Prof. Augusto Arullani – Coordinator
Host Institution
Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome
Other Institutions involved
Università Cattolica del Sacro cuore – Rome, Italy
Source of funding
Italian Ministry of Education