Sign in Subscribe
Cancer research

Personalized Medicine Breakthrough in Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center have discovered a new predictive tool for personalized therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. By analyzing the methylation status of septin 9 (mSEPT9), a research team led by Han Shan was able to identify a significant association between mSEPT9 positivity and clinicopathological characteristics in CRC patients. Furthermore, the study found that mSEPT9-positive patients showed higher objective response rates (ORR) to certain antitumor agents, such as fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, and bevacizumab, but shorter progression-free survival (PFS) compared to mSEPT9-negative patients.

Key Takeaways:

  • The mSEPT9 methylation status was significantly elevated in stage IV CRC patients compared to stage I-III patients, and correlated with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score.
  • mSEPT9-positive patients demonstrated higher ORR to fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, and bevacizumab, but shorter PFS compared to mSEPT9-negative patients.
  • Bevacizumab appeared to partially counteract the adverse prognostic impact of mSEPT9 positivity.
  • The study's findings provide new insights for personalized therapy in CRC patients.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in Clinical Therapeutics.

Statistics:

  • 1098 CRC cases were analyzed in the study.
  • 479 stage IV CRC patients received systemic antitumor therapy.
  • mSEPT9-positive patients showed a 34.6% ORR to fluoropyrimidines, 28.6% ORR to oxaliplatin, and 42.9% ORR to bevacizumab.
  • mSEPT9-positive patients showed a 51.4% ORR, 37.5% ORR, and 44.7% ORR to irinotecan and cetuximab, respectively.
  • The median PFS was 5.6 months for mSEPT9-positive patients and 7.3 months for mSEPT9-negative patients.

Sources:

  • Association of Plasma Septin9 Methylation Status With Therapeutic Response to Antitumor Agents in Colorectal Cancer Patients. Clinical Therapeutics, 2025.
  • Clinical Therapeutics: Elsevier, 685 Route 202-206, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, USA.
  • Han Shan, Dept. of Pharmacy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
  • Qiong Du and Mengmeng Wang, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.
  • NewsRx. Data on Personalized Medicine Reported by Researchers at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (Association of Plasma Septin9 Methylation Status With Therapeutic Response to Antitumor Agents in Colorectal Cancer Patients). Cancer Weekly. August 19, 2025; p 849.

Read more