Collagen: a possible prediction mark for gastric cancer

Considering the high mortality rates and the unfavorable prognosis of gastric cancer (GC), it is important to predict early GC canceration and the metastasis. Unfortunately, it has not been any clinical prediction mark sufficiently sensitive to GC yet. It is therefore important to investigate new sensitive and specific marks for GC prediction. Here, we review the evidence on gastric cancer and collagen, and discuss the sensitivity and the feasibility of collagens as potential prediction marks. Experiment researches and micro-array technology have shown that not only the biosynthesis and degradation of collagens but also collagen genes' expression are closely related to GC biological behaviour, especially canceration and metastasis and studies have proved some certain collagens might have ability to predict GC development. As outlined above, we hypothesize that collagens may be independent prediction marks of GC canceration and metastasis.