{"id":12864,"date":"2026-03-11T21:10:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12864"},"modified":"2026-03-11T21:10:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:10:39","slug":"biomarkers-for-colorectal-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/biomarkers-for-colorectal-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12865 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2197570511.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. It is the second most common type of cancer among men and women,\u00a0and the second most common cause of cancer-related\u00a0deaths.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Colorectal cancer\u00a0most\u00a0commonly occurs in men and women 55-85 years of age, which is 80% of colorectal cancer cases. Common risk factors of\u00a0the disease\u00a0include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Obesity<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Having type 2 diabetes<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Family history<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Racial and ethnic background<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Diet<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Level of physical\u00a0activity<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Long term tobacco smoking<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"8\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Moderate to heavy alcohol use<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If a person is\u00a0suspected of having colorectal cancer\u00a0or has already been diagnosed with it,\u00a0they will be tested for colorectal cancer\u00a0biomarkers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Biomarkers or biological biomarkers\u00a0are traits that healthcare providers measure in a person\u2019s blood, body fluids, and tissues. They can be signs of conditions, diseases, normal body functions, or when something goes wrong. Biomarkers can also be used by healthcare providers to see how well a person\u2019s body reacts to treatments for the disease they have.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Biomarkers for colorectal cancer are used for diagnosis, progression, prognosis,\u00a0and\u00a0treatment planning.\u00a0Diagnostic biomarkers can detect\u00a0the presence of diseases.\u00a0Prognostic\u00a0biomarkers are associated with a clinical outcome regardless of the treatment that has been received, and predictive biomarkers can predict the benefit or lack of benefit of a certain treatment.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Colorectal cancer biomarker testing is done by taking a sample of\u00a0a person\u2019s\u00a0tumor\u00a0for a biopsy,\u00a0or\u00a0a sample of their blood\u00a0and sending\u00a0it\u00a0to a pathology lab to\u00a0determine\u00a0if there are\u00a0any abnormalities in the DNA, RNA, hormones, or proteins made by\u00a0their cancer.\u00a0Many tests are used in biomarker testing, including:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">DNA or RNA sequencing<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Next-generation\u00a0sequencing<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Molecular testing<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CtDNA<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Immunohistochemistry<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FISH<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Biomarker testing can reveal\u00a0very detailed\u00a0information about a person\u2019s tumor. A healthcare provider will review the test results to\u00a0determine\u00a0which\u00a0of the specific biomarkers are present, and they may also see how much is present.\u00a0The type of biomarker\u00a0tests\u00a0a person receives depends on what their healthcare provider\u00a0determines\u00a0is right for the type and stage of cancer they have.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Biomarkers can also\u00a0determine\u00a0if the person\u2019s colorectal cancer has a hereditary genetic mutation or an acquired one. Only 5% of colorectal cancer cases are caused by\u00a0germline mutations, also known as hereditary mutations, which are genetic abnormalities that are passed down from parent to child.\u00a0This means that 95% of colorectal cancers happen randomly due to changes in the body cells that\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0inherited.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once colorectal cancer biomarker testing is complete, a healthcare provider will be able to create a personalized treatment plan based on the person\u2019s unique biomarker traits.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Biomarker testing is useful in both early and advanced colorectal cancer. For those with advanced cancer, biomarker testing is used to learn whether their cancer has any targetable\u00a0characteristics. If it does, target therapy or immunotherapy may be treatment options as they target specific characteristics of a tumor.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you would like to learn more about\u00a0colorectal cancer biomarker testing, or to learn more about our cancer care program, you can schedule an appointment with an oncologist at our<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/clinical-services\/cancer-care\/\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0MediSys Health Network Cancer Center<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0by calling (718) 206-6742.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. It is the second most common type of cancer among men and women,\u00a0and the second most common cause of cancer-related\u00a0deaths.\u00a0 Colorectal cancer\u00a0most\u00a0commonly occurs in men and women &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/biomarkers-for-colorectal-cancer\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2097,5,1,61,14,4],"tags":[2318,2317,362,408,859,2319,110,722,2235,473],"class_list":["post-12864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cancer","category-general-health","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-mens-health","category-womens-health","tag-biomarkers","tag-biomarkers-for-colorectal-cancer","tag-cancer","tag-colorectal-cancer","tag-colorectal-cancer-awareness-month","tag-colorectal-cancer-screening","tag-genetics","tag-health","tag-mens-health","tag-womens-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12866,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12864\/revisions\/12866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}