Incorporating Novel Technologies in Precision Oncology for Colorectal Cancer: Advancing Personalized Medicine

Simple Summary Cancer affects millions of individuals every year, with colorectal cancer being among the most common. There is an increased need to identify new biomarkers that can not only diagnose patients early, but also stratify them so the best treatment can be initiated for each patient. Every human has a unique genetic makeup that causes them to respond differently to cancer. In recent years, new technologies have provided unprecedented access to tumor samples from patients. Through these analyses, we can not only diagnose and classify patients based on their comparative risk, but also monitor their response to emerging therapies. Continued progress using these methods will transform how we approach treatment modalities for cancer patients.Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most heterogeneous and deadly diseases, with a global incidence of 1.5 million cases per year. Genomics has revolutionized the clinical management of CRC by enabling comprehensive molecular profiling of cancer. However, a deeper understanding of the molecular factors is needed to identify new prognostic and predictive markers that can assist in designing more effective therapeutic regimens for the improved management of CRC. Recent breakthroughs in single-cell analysis have identified new cell subtypes that play a critical role in tumor progression and could serve as potential therapeutic targets. Spatial analysis of the transcriptome and proteome holds the key to unlocking pathogenic cellular interactions, while liquid biopsy profiling of molecular variables from serum holds great potential for monitoring therapy resistance. Furthermore, gene expression signatures from various pathways have emerged as promising prognostic indicators in colorectal cancer and have the potential to enhance the development of equitable medicine. The advancement of these technologies for identifying new markers, particularly in the domain of predictive and personalized medicine, has the potential to improve the management of patients with CRC. Further investigations utilizing similar methods could uncover molecular subtypes specific to emerging therapies, potentially strengthening the development of personalized medicine for CRC patients.