Mismatch Repair (MMR) Status among Colorectal Cancer Patients in a Philippine Tertiary Hospital

Background. Approximately 15% of colorectal cancers exhibit deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) status, and these cases have a better prognosis and are less prone to metastasis. Moreover, dMMR is associated with an improved response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Currently, local data on the MMR status of colorectal cancer patients remains scant. Objective. The proponents aimed to determine the MMR status among colorectal cancer patients in a Philippine tertiary hospital. Methodology. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that included 42 patients with colorectal cancer seen at the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) from January 2021 to June 2024. Data was collected via retrospective review of histopathologic reports. Results. Forty-two (42) patients were included in the study. The mean age of included patients was 61.8 years, and most were males. Half had well-differentiated tumor grade, and the most common tumor locations were rectum (38%) and sigmoid (36%). Three patients (7.14%; 95% CI:1.50-19.48%) were considered deficient. Tumor locations in dMMR patients were the cecum, descending colon, and rectum. Compared to MMR-proficient, dMMR patients had a lower mean age (63.1 vs. 45.7 years). Also, a higher proportion of males (13%) were dMMR than females (0%). Conclusion. dMMR is uncommon among the colorectal cancer cases in this study, and was only seen at the cecum, descending colon, and rectum. Descriptive analysis revealed that patients with dMMR were younger than MMR-proficient patients. Moreover, a higher proportion of males were dMMR than females. Larger, multicenter studies are warranted to validate these preliminary findings and guide future clinical decision-making.