HER2/NEU EXPRESSION IN COLORECTAL CARCINOMA: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN A PAKISTANI COHORT

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major and growing global health burden. Recent international cancer estimates place CRC among the most frequently diagnosed malignancies worldwide and among the leading causes of cancer related mortality. The global burden is expected to increase substantially over coming decades, particularly in countries undergoing demographic, dietary, and lifestyle transitions [1]. Contemporary GLOBOCAN estimates continue to identify colorectal cancer as one of the three most commonly diagnosed cancers globally, emphasizing the importance of improving its prevention, molecular characterization, and treatment [1]. (IARC)