Dr. Chu on the Importance of Identifying MSI Status in mCRC

Edward Chu, MD, MMS, director and professor of medicine and molecular pharmacology at Albert Einstein Cancer Center, and vice president for cancer medicine at Montefiore Medicine, discusses the importance of identifying patients with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H)​ metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Approximately 5% of patients with mCRC will express an MSI-H phenotype, ​says Chu. Despite its rarity, MSI-H is an important characteristic of a patient’s disease, says Chu.

Similar to HER2, RAS, and NTRK aberrations, MSI-H can help inform critical treatment decisions​, Chu adds. When molecular* abnormalities are identified, patients can be treated appropriately with personalized therapy, Chu adds.

Notably, during the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, the concept of precision medicine in mCRC was a major theme, concludes Chu.