According to the World Health Organization, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer across the globe. It places a major burden on global healthcare systems and increases the need for better screening and treatment strategies.

Ongoing advancements in diagnostics, molecular profiling, and therapeutic innovation rely heavily on access to high-quality Colorectal Cancer Samples.

At Bay Biosciences, we provide high-quality fresh frozen colorectal cancer tumor tissue samples and matched plasma , serum and PBMC samples to help researchers confidently investigate tumor biology, identify biomarkers, improve colorectal cancer screening strategies, and develop targeted therapies.

Colorectal Cancer Samples for Research

Understanding Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer begins in the lining of the colon or rectum when normal cells begin to grow abnormally.

Most colorectal cancers begin as adenomatous polyps, which are precancerous growths that form on the inner surface of the bowel.

These polyps usually remain benign for years, but genetic changes accumulate in their cells over time and drive uncontrolled growth. If these changes continue without removal, the polyps can transform into cancer. This process is known as the adenoma carcinoma sequence.

Doctors classify colorectal cancer stages based on how far the tumor has spread:

  • Stage 0: Cancer remains confined to the inner lining.
  • Stage I: Cancer grows into the deeper layers of the colon wall but does not spread to lymph nodes.
  • Stage II: Cancer extends through the wall of the colon or rectum but does not reach nearby lymph nodes.
  • Stage III: Cancer spreads to regional lymph nodes.
  • Stage IV: Cancer spreads to distant organs such as the liver or lungs.

Causes and Risk Factors of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer develops due to a mix of genetic, environmental, and inflammatory factors.

1. Age and Genetic Mutations

Age is an important risk factor, as it is more common for individuals over 50 years of age to get colorectal cancer. Mutations in genes such as APC, KRAS, and TP53 are commonly implicated in tumor development.

2. Family History and Hereditary Syndromes

Conditions such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis significantly increase colorectal cancer risk.

3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Chronic inflammatory disorders like Ulcerative colitis increase long-term cancer risk due to persistent mucosal inflammation. Patients with ulcerative colitis often undergo routine ulcerative colitis colonoscopy surveillance to monitor for dysplasia and early malignancy.

4. Lifestyle Factors

A diet high in red or processed meat, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity contribute to increased risk.

5. Gut Microbiome Alterations

Emerging research highlights the role of microbial dysbiosis in promoting chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis.

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Early-stage colorectal cancer generally produces minimal or no symptoms, which makes a proactive approach to screening extremely important. At times, symptoms can also overlap with benign gastrointestinal conditions.

The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening

Structured colorectal cancer screening programs play a critical role in reducing both the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. As mentioned earlier, unlike many other cancers, colorectal cancer often begins as a slow-growing precancerous polyp.

Therefore, screening allows clinicians to find and remove these lesions before they transform into invasive cancers. This helps prevent disease development.

Several large systematic reviews and meta-analyses have demonstrated that screening strategies significantly lower colorectal cancer mortality.

For example, colonoscopy screening has been linked with up to a 61–68% reduction in colorectal cancer deaths, and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) programs have consistently shown meaningful declines in mortality when broadly adopted.

Additionally, systematic review data show that regular colonoscopy can reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality by approximately 52–62% compared with no screening.

Apart from Colonoscopy &FIT, common screening modalities include:

  • Stool DNA testing: Combines fecal blood detection with molecular analysis of tumor DNA, offering increased sensitivity for cancer detection.
  • CT colonography: A less invasive imaging alternative that can screen the entire colon using X-ray technology, often recommended every 5 years in average-risk adults.

Treatment Options for Colorectal Cancer

Treatment strategies depend on several factors, including tumor stage, molecular characteristics, patient health status, etc.

1. Surgery

Surgical resection remains the primary treatment for localized colorectal cancer. Removal of the tumor and affected lymph nodes offers curative potential in early stages.

2. Chemotherapy

Adjuvant chemotherapy is often administered after surgery to eliminate residual cancer cells and reduce recurrence risk.

3. Radiation Therapy

More commonly used in rectal cancer, radiation helps shrink tumors before surgery or reduce recurrence afterward.

4. Targeted Therapy

Targeted agents inhibit specific molecular pathways involved in tumor growth, including EGFR and VEGF signaling pathways.

5. Immunotherapy

Checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated significant benefit in tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI-high) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). Modern precision oncology relies heavily on molecular testing of tumor tissue and circulating biomarkers to guide these therapeutic decisions.

Colorectal Cancer Plasma Samples

Colorectal Cancer Plasma Samples allow researchers to study circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicles, cytokines, and protein biomarkers.

Plasma-based analyses support:

  • Liquid biopsy development
  • Monitoring minimal residual disease
  • Assessing treatment response
  • Detecting early relapse

Colorectal Cancer Serum Samples

Colorectal Cancer Serum Samples are widely used to measure tumor-associated proteins, inflammatory markers, and metabolic signatures.

Serum biomarkers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are commonly evaluated in clinical practice to monitor disease progression.

Tissue-Based Colorectal Cancer Samples

Tumor tissue samples remain essential for:

  • Histopathological confirmation
  • Genomic sequencing
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Tumor microenvironment analysis

Access to well-annotated Colorectal Cancer Samples allows researchers to correlate molecular findings with clinical outcomes, staging, treatment response, and survival data.

Supporting Your Research with Bay Biosciences

We provide high-quality, ethically sourced colorectal cancer tissue samples collected through standardized methods to ensure safe preservation.

Bay BioSciences provides comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Samples for Research, including:

Samples from normal healthy donors, volunteers, for controls, and clinical research are also available.

If you have any questions, concerns, or special requests, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!