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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Adjuvant chemotherapy lengthens survival in patients with node-positive stage III disease versus surgery alone; however, because 75% to 85% of patients with node-negative, stage II disease will have good outcomes with surgery alone, the role of adjuvant treatment in stage II patients remains controversial. Identifying molecular markers in stage II patients that signify a high risk for recurrence is an important research area.
Mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes result in a genetic phenomenon called microsatellite instability, or MSI. MSI occurs in the germline of patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal ca…