Intracellular pathways in colorectal carcinogenesis

Colorectal cancer is a common and deadly malignant tumor, with 500 000 new cases detected worldwide each year. Colonoscopy with polipectomy is the golden standard for secondary prevention, with 30-40% colorectal cancer incidence reduction in high-risk population. First efforts in primary prevention with selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are discouraged by their unexpected toxicity. Better understanding of intracellular signaling pathways responsible for colorectal cancer carcinogenesis, as reviewed in this article, leads to development of new methods for their selective switch off, and thereby prevention of tumor nascence