Beyond Detection: Conventional and Emerging Biomarkers in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a leading cause of cancer mortality, often diagnosed at late stages.
• Late-stage diagnosis and poor treatment response in advanced GI cancers necessitate earlier detection strategies.
• Current diagnostic and prognostic methods for GI cancers have limitations, driving the need for novel biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review traditional and emerging biomarkers for early detection, prognostication, and treatment prediction in GI cancers.
• To highlight the diagnostic potential of non-invasive liquid biopsy biomarkers like circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), microRNAs (miRNAs), and exosomes.
• To discuss the prognostic and predictive value of established genetic alterations (KRAS, BRAF, HER2) in GI cancers.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of traditional and emerging biomarkers for GI cancer.
• Analysis of diagnostic utility of non-invasive liquid biopsy markers.
• Evaluation of prognostic and predictive roles of genetic alterations.

Main Results:

• Emerging biomarkers, particularly liquid biopsy components (ctDNA, miRNAs, exosomes), show promise for early GI cancer detection.
• Conventional genetic alterations (KRAS, BRAF, HER2) provide prognostic and predictive information.
• Liquid biopsy offers potential advantages over colonoscopy but faces limitations like cost and accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Liquid biopsy and its associated biomarkers represent a promising avenue for personalized diagnosis and treatment of GI cancers.
• Further research is essential to validate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of liquid biopsy techniques.
• Addressing technological gaps is crucial for implementing liquid biopsy in diverse clinical settings for better GI cancer management.