Identification of a subset of stage I colorectal cancer patients with high recurrence risk

A challenge in early-stage colorectal cancer is identifying biomarkers that predict an increased risk for recurrence. A potential clinically adaptable biomarker is focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a tyrosine kinase that promotes invasion and metastasis. A multicenter study found that high FAK was associated with decreased ten-year recurrence-free survival among stage I patients but not among higher stages. In multivariate survival analysis for stage I patients high FAK was associated with worse RFS (HR 5.27; p=0.002), as was perineural invasion (HR 7.38; p=0.049). The authors conclude that these results suggest that FAK has important prognostic value in stage I CRC. These patients would immediately benefit from more rigorous surveillance protocols for recurrent disease.