Current and evolving practices of carbohydrate antigens in gastric cancer: a narrative review

Carbohydrate antigens (CAs) are of great significance in various aspects of gastric cancer (GC). As new members of the family of CAs continue to be discovered, there is a growing focus on their role as therapeutic targets. The comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current and evolving utilization of CAs in GC, offering valuable insights on the role of CAs as therapeutic targets or biomarkers for GC patients.

A detailed narrative review of the most recent literature was conducted to assess the current use and advancements of CAs in GC. PubMed database was being examined and the last run was on 8 June 2024.

This article traces the discovery and biological properties of CAs and their role in GC clinical practice. CAs not only serve a crucial clinical function in the diagnosis, therapy monitoring, metastatic evaluation, and prognosis of GC, but they also improve biological performance when paired with other biomarkers. New CAs, like truncated O-glycans, gangliosides, globo-series glycan, and Lewis antigens, significantly influence GC progression, metastatic infiltration, and individual susceptibility. Moreover, these antigens exhibit unique potential in GC treatment, offering new approaches and insights for GC treatment.

The use of CAs in GC diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and targeting therapy is beneficial. With the ongoing advancement of detection methodologies and technologies, challenges related to the sensitivity and specificity of CAs detection are anticipated to be progressively and effectively addressed. This will make its application in GC more widespread and effective.