EDITORIALS Molecular Markers of Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer

Characterization of molecular and cellular alterations in-volved in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer is the focus of intense research activity, and this activity is not misdirected. In the United States, around 130 000 patients are diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually (1), and the incidence is rising rapidly in developing countries, particularly in Asia. Gaining new insight into the molecular pathogenesis of colorec-tal cancer will allow progress in many facets of disease control, including primary prevention on a population basis, identifica-tion of genetically predisposed groups for targeted surveillance and/or chemoprevention, prognosis for patients with established cancer, prediction of tumor response to treatment, and rational development of novel treatment approaches. Descriptive and mechanistic molecular studies of colorectal cancer are moving on apace, and we are now challenged with applying the wealt