Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) includes tumors in the right colon, left colon, and rectum, although they differ significantly from each other in aspects such as prognosis and treatment. Few previous mass spectrometry‐based studies have analyzed differences in protein expression depending on the tumor location. In this study, we have used mass spectrometry‐based proteomics to analyze plasma samples from 83 CRC patients to study if differences in plasma protein expression can be seen depending on primary tumor location (right colon, left colon, or rectum). Differences were studied between the groups both regardless of and according to tumor stage (II or III). Large differences in plasma protein expression were seen, and we found that plasma samples from patients with rectal cancer separated from samples from patients with colon cancer when analyzed by principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. Samples from patients with cancer in the right and left colon also tended to separate from each other. Pathway analysis discovered canonical pathways involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation to be enriched. This study will help to further define CRC as distinct entities depending on tumor location, as shown by the widespread differences in plasma protein profile and dysregulated pathways.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer death, with over 1.8 million new cases and closer to 900 000 deaths estimated to have occurred in 2018
CRC accounts for 10% of the global cancer burden, and the burden is expected to increase by 60% to more than 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths by 2030.1,2 CRC includes cancer in the colon, which is further divided into the right and left colon, and the rectum
We observed widespread differences in plasma protein expression depending on primary tumor location, both when samples were analyzed regardless of and according to tumor stage (II or III)
Summary
The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection and analysis, interpretation of the data, manuscript writing or in the decision to submit this manuscript for publication
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