Progress of circulating tumor DNA methylation for gastric cancer screening and management
10.3760/cma.j.cn441530-20230710-00001
- VernacularTitle:循环肿瘤DNA甲基化状态在胃癌筛查和诊治中的研究进展
- Author:
Qinxing CAO
1
;
Li YAN
;
Nengyi HOU
;
Jinfeng CHEN
;
Song YU
;
Hejiang LU
;
Zhenjia DAN
;
Minghui PANG
Author Information
1. 四川省医学科学院·四川省人民医院（电子科技大学附属医院）老年综合外科，成都 610072
- Keywords:
Stomach neoplasms;
DNA methylation;
Circulating tumor DNA;
Biomarkers;
Early detection
- From:
Chinese Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
2024;27(5):535-544
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is cell-free DNA released by tumors or circulating tumor cells, containing abundant tumor-specific information that can serve as biomarkers for cancer early screening, monitoring, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. This is particularly attractive in the field of gastric cancer, where high-quality screening, monitoring, and prediction methods are currently lacking. Gastric cancer exhibits significant tumor heterogeneity, with large differences in genetic and epigenetic characteristics among different subgroups. Methylated ctDNA has high sensitivity and specificity, which can help clarify tumor genotyping and facilitate the formulation of precise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, numerous studies have confirmed the unique advantages of methylated DNA in predicting treatment response, adjuvant therapy, and drug resistance assessment, which may be used in the future to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens and improve patient chemotherapeutic response, and even treat multidrug resistance. However, there are several challenges associated with methylated ctDNA, such as low sensitivity and specificity at single-target sites, limited association between some gastric cancer subtypes and ctDNA, off-target risks, and the lack of large-scale and high-quality clinical research evidence. This review mainly summarizes current research on the methylation status of ctDNA in gastric cancer and connects these findings to early screening, recurrence monitoring, and potential treatment opportunities for gastric cancer. With advances in technology and the deepening of interdisciplinary research, ctDNA detection will reveal more disease information and become an essential foundation for gastric cancer research and precision medicine treatment.
