Translational Research in Colorectal Cancer

Karin M. Hardiman, MD, PhD

I want to thank Scott Steele, MD, for giving me the opportunity to be the guest editor for this issue of Clinics in Colorectal Surgery devoted to translational research in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Colorectal surgeons play an essential role in treating and curing CRC, and we need to keep ourselves updated on emerging research. CRC research is fast paced and new information is constantly becoming available that leads to studies that ultimately change our treatment algorithms for patients. It is challenging to keep up with it all and quality, understandable reviews are difficult to find. Here, we strive to update the reader on the findings of translational studies over the past 5 years. We give updates on both sporadic and hereditary CRC genetics with articles by Molly Cone, MD, from Vanderbilt and myself. In addition, we have included sections on polyp prevention by Elena Stoffel, MD, CRC related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by the IBD gastroenterology group at the University of Michigan, and an article on emerging therapies by Christine Veenstra, MD. Finally, we have included articles on the role of the microbiome in CRC and information on emerging models of CRC by researchers Grace Chen, MD, and Judith Leopold, PhD. The contributors are all experts in their fields and have beautifully summarized very complex information for this edition. I am very grateful to each of these authors who took the time out of their busy schedules to write these reviews.