Molecular markers to individualize adjuvant therapy for colon cancer.

Prognostic and predictive markers in colon cancer might help define which patients with stage II disease are likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy. In this Review, Tara Gangadhar and Richard Schilsky discuss the recent clinical development of such markers, including microsatellite instability and 18q loss of heterozygosity. Further validation of these markers could potentially lead to the individualization of adjuvant therapy in colon cancer.