A Review Of Colorectal Cancer Formation, Metastasis And Gene-therapy Treatment

There have been an estimated 20 million new diagnoses and 10 million deaths reported from cancer globally in 2023 (1) and overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 26 for women. The cancer burden will increase by approximately 60% over the next two decades, further straining health systems, people and communities (1). Colon cancer starts when normal cells that line the colon begin to grow and change uncontrollably which happens through DNA damage accumulation from mutations in tumor suppressor genes and failure to regulate cell cycle checkpoints. In this review, the role of the DNA damage and cell cycle checkpoints in cancer, colon cancer cell formation, and gene-therapy related treatment methods will be discussed. The purpose of this review is to educate people about colon cancer and be a resource for relatives of colorectal cancer patients to learn more about what their loved ones are going through.