Tumor Marker Applications in Gastric Cancer Diagnostics
Summary
Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, in part because early disease is often asymptomatic and conventional imaging may lack sensitivity for small or diffuse lesions. Serum tumour markers have long been investigated as minimally invasive complements to endoscopy and radiology, offering the potential for screening, early detection, prognostic stratification and surveillance of recurrence. Classic markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) exhibit relatively low sensitivity when measured alone but can yield greater diagnostic performance when used in combination with cancer antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) or cancer antigen 125 (CA125). Emerging platforms—ranging from multiplex immunoassays to advanced electrochemical or stochastic sensors—have enabled simultaneous quantification of several analytes across a broad concentration range, improving analytical throughput and lowering limits of detection. In parallel, dynamic changes in marker levels before and after surgery, during neoadjuvant chemotherapy or at the point of recurrence have proven useful for prognostic modelling and therapeutic decision-making. Despite advances, standardisation of assay thresholds, the influence of benign gastric conditions and integration with molecular profiling remain challenges. Continued refinement of composite marker panels and incorporation of novel biomarkers such as microRNAs and circulating tumour DNA promise to enhance early diagnosis and individualised care for patients with gastric malignancy.
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Tumor Marker Applications in Gastric Cancer Diagnostics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in tumor marker applications in gastric cancer diagnostics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): A glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion, commonly measured in serum to assess tumour presence or recurrence.
Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9): A mucin-associated glycoprotein marker elevated in gastrointestinal malignancies and used to monitor disease activity.
Cancer antigen 72-4 (CA72-4): A high-molecular-weight tumour-associated glycoprotein expressed by gastric cancer cells and applied in combination assays to improve diagnostic sensitivity.
Sensitivity: The proportion of true positives correctly identified by a diagnostic test.
Specificity: The proportion of true negatives correctly identified by a diagnostic test.
Limit of detection (LOD): The lowest concentration of an analyte that can be reliably distinguished from zero by an assay.
References
- Simultaneous Assay of CA 72-4, CA 19-9, CEA and CA 125 in Biological Samples Using Needle Three-Dimensional Stochastic Microsensors. Sensors (2023).
- Comparison of CEA and CA19-9 as a predictive factor for recurrence after curative gastrectomy in gastric cancer. BMC Surgery (2022).
- Clinical evaluation of CEA, CA19-9, CA72-4 and CA125 in gastric cancer patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. World Journal of Surgical Oncology (2014).
- Prognostic significance of pre- and post-operative tumour markers for patients with gastric cancer. British Journal of Cancer (2020).
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