INST 1204: PIK3CA Mutations as Biomarkers for Metastasis in Colon Cancer

This proposal seeks to further understand the contribution of the PIK3CA mutations in colon cancer, by correlating the type of hotspot mutation with the development of metastases in stage II and stage Ill patients. In order to do this, DNA will be extracted from either frozen or paraffin embedded colon cancer tissues to sequence PIK3CA, KRAS and BRAF. Clinical outcome data will be gathered to include metastases and survival to correlate with PIK3CA, KRAS and BRAF mutational status. Patients with stage II and stage Ill colon cancers will be identified in the University of New Mexico Human Tissue Repository and the NIH PLCO prevention trial biorepository. Existing banked tissues of stage II and Ill colon cancers will be collected. There will be no direct contact with living individuals. Epidemiological factors such as age, race, gender and outcome data of metastases and survival will be collected.