Free Fatty Acid is a Promising Biomarker in Triage Screening for Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis relies on biomarkers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9).
• The diagnostic efficacy of these markers can be limited, particularly in specific patient demographics.
• Identifying novel biomarkers for early CRC detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic capability of free fatty acids (FFAs) in identifying colorectal cancer (CRC), with a specific focus on younger patient populations.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of FFAs against established CRC biomarkers, namely carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of patients screened for CRC at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2011 and December 2014 were included.
• Patients with pathologically confirmed CRC, colorectal adenoma (CA), and healthy controls were recruited.
• Free fatty acid (FFA) levels were quantified using the enzyme endpoint method, and diagnostic performance was assessed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Main Results:

• FFA levels were significantly higher in late-stage CRC patients (TNM stages III-IV) compared to early-stage patients (TNM stages I-II) (P=0.02).
• CRC patients exhibited higher FFA levels than controls across all age groups, with a more pronounced difference observed in patients younger than 50 years and females.
• In younger CRC patients (age ≤ 50), the combined use of FFA with CEA and CA19-9 yielded the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.801, outperforming individual markers.

Conclusions:

• Free fatty acid (FFA) levels demonstrate potential as a complementary biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis, enhancing the predictive value of CEA and CA19-9.
• FFA exhibits superior predictive ability in younger and female CRC patients, suggesting its utility in targeted screening strategies.
• FFA may play a significant role in the triage screening of early-stage colorectal cancer, potentially improving detection rates.