Tumor proteomics - Neue wege in der diagnostik kolorektaler karzinome

Detection of colorectal cancer at an early stage or even before it occurs, is critical when curative treatment is intented. Despite all possibilties to screen for colorectal cancer, more than two thirds are diagnosed at advanced stages (UICC III and IV) of disease. This determines the growing demand for efficient diagnostic and prognostic markers. Proteomic research ("PROTEins expressed by a genOME") approchaches issues like protein abundance, posttranslational polypeptide modification and protein-protein interaction as well as functional and dynamic processes within the cell and can therefore lead to biomarker discovery for early disease detection. Already now, proteomics based on 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, masspectrometry (MALDI) and SELDI-technology, can distinguish a healty from the tumor patient with high sensitivity and specificity. The identification of tumor specific proteins will enable us to develop patient tailored treatment strategies, that have the potential to improve the survival of patients suffering from colorectal cancer. It can be foreseen that clinical medicine will integrate the results of proteome and genome research into daily routine. Within this transfer from "bench to bedside" the surgeon will play a pivotal role.