Molecular characteristics of KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutation frequency in sessile serrated adenomas and polyps in patients from central Taiwan

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of t he most common cancers, and patients with CRC usually present with several polyps that can be detected by colonoscopy, which is a commonly used screening tool. Sessile serrated adenomas (SSAs) were a polyp type considered to have a high risk of becoming interval colorectal cancer following negative colonoscopy. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the molecular features of SSAs in central Taiwan. Methods and Results: We used the FemtoPath primer kit to detect BRAF, KRAS, and PIK3CA mutations for 32 specimens: BRAF (V600E), KRAS (G12D, G12C, and G13D), and PIK3CA (H1047Y) mutations were detected. Conclusion: Almost all SSA samples contained BRAF mutations, and KRAS gene mutations were detected to a statistical significance for patients with high dysplasia and for those with more than three polyps.