PODXL protein in colorectal cancer

Method of treatment of a human subject having a TNM stage III or Dukes' stage C colorectal cancer, comprising:

• a) evaluating an amount of PODXL protein present in at least part of a colorectal tumor tissue sample from the subject using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and determining a sample value corresponding to the evaluated amount;
• b) comparing the sample value obtained in step a) with a reference value;
• and,
• if said sample value is higher than said reference value,
• c) treating said subject with adjuvant combination chemotherapy;
• and
• if said sample value is lower than or equal to said reference value,
• d) refraining from treating said subject with adjuvant combination chemotherapy, wherein the evaluation of step a) is limited to the membranes of tumor cells of said sample, wherein step a) comprises:
• aI) applying to said sample of step a) a quantifiable affinity ligand capable of selective interaction with the PODXL protein to be evaluated, said application being performed under conditions that enable binding of the affinity ligand to PODXL protein present in the sample;
• and
• aII) quantifying the affinity ligand bound to said sample to evaluate said amount,
• wherein said quantifiable affinity ligand is a monoclonal antibody or a Fab fragment, Fv fragment or scFv fragment thereof capable of selective interaction with a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:14.

Method of treatment of a human subject having a TNM stage III or Dukes' stage C colorectal cancer, comprising:

• a) evaluating an amount of PODXL protein present in at least part of a colorectal tumor tissue sample from the subject using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and determining a sample value corresponding to the evaluated amount;
• b) comparing the sample value obtained in step a) with a reference value;
• and,
• if said sample value is higher than said reference value,
• c) treating said subject with a more aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy;
• and
• if said sample value is lower than or equal to said reference value,
• d) treating said subject with a less aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy,
• wherein the less aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy involves the application of fewer chemotherapeutic agents or a chemotherapeutic substance in a lower dose as compared to the more aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy,
• wherein the evaluation of step a) is limited to the membranes of tumor cells of said sample, wherein step a) comprises:
• aI) applying to said sample of step a) a quantifiable affinity ligand capable of selective interaction with the PODXL protein to be evaluated, said application being performed under conditions that enable binding of the affinity ligand to PODXL protein present in the sample;
• and
• aII) quantifying the affinity ligand bound to said sample to evaluate said amount,
• wherein said quantifiable affinity ligand is a monoclonal antibody or a Fab fragment, Fv fragment or scFv fragment thereof capable of selective interaction with a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:14.