Can Tumour Antigens Act as Biomarkers for the Early Detection of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis manuscript give an review on an interesting topic, using tumor antigens as diagnostic biomarkers for early stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, the manuscript should improve and provide more detail on how to use these candidates as diagnostic biomarkers.
Here are some specific comments:
The title should be rewritten for more impact.
Abstract (Lines 22-29): The essence of this review needs clarity and conviction regarding the utilization of Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAAs) as diagnostic biomarkers. The abstract should succinctly elaborate on why and how TAAs can serve as effective diagnostic tools for early-stage NSCLC.
Line 47: Replace "return" with "relapse" or "recurrence" for precision.
Figure 1: The resolution of the figure should be enhanced, with increased text size for better readability. Additionally, consider using distinct colors for male and female categories to enhance clarity.
Part 3: Propose the creation of a figure or schematic representation to categorize different types of NSCLC based on molecular pathology markers.
Parts 4-5: The manuscript presents a plethora of information, but it lacks condensation and fails to clearly illustrate how these biomarkers can be practically utilized or developed as diagnostic tools.
Part 6: Assign a fitting title to this section, delineating its content with precision.
Sensitivity and Specificity Data: It is recommended to gather data showcasing the sensitivity and specificity of individual markers or combinations thereof for cancer diagnosis.
Part Numbering: Rectify the sequencing of parts, ensuring there is no direct jump from part 7 to part 11.
Comments on the Quality of English Languageminor editing is required
Author Response
Reviewer 1:
This manuscript give an review on an interesting topic, using tumor antigens as diagnostic biomarkers for early stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, the manuscript should improve and provide more detail on how to use these candidates as diagnostic biomarkers.
Here are some specific comments:
The title should be rewritten for more impact.
The title has been changed to ‘Can tumour antigens act as biomarkers for the early detection of non-small cell lung cancer?’
Abstract (Lines 22-29): The essence of this review needs clarity and conviction regarding the utilization of Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAAs) as diagnostic biomarkers. The abstract should succinctly elaborate on why and how TAAs can serve as effective diagnostic tools for early-stage NSCLC.
The abstract has been re-written as follows:-
Line 19-23: Many tumour-associated antigens (TAA) have been studied as blood biomarkers for lung cancer; however, they are not recommended as tools for the early detection of lung cancer due to their poor specificity. Here we discuss the potential of cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) to act as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of non-small cell lung cancer.
Line 47: Replace "return" with "relapse" or "recurrence" for precision.
Done
Figure 1: The resolution of the figure should be enhanced, with increased text size for better readability. Additionally, consider using distinct colors for male and female categories to enhance clarity.
Done
Part 3: Propose the creation of a figure or schematic representation to categorize different types of NSCLC based on molecular pathology markers.
Done
Parts 4-5: The manuscript presents a plethora of information, but it lacks condensation and fails to clearly illustrate how these biomarkers can be practically utilized or developed as diagnostic tools.
Section 4 has become Section 2 significantly shortened – now lines 49-68.
Part 6: Assign a fitting title to this section, delineating its content with precision.
This has been changed to ‘The potential of biomarker panels for LC detection’ and is now section 5
Sensitivity and Specificity Data: It is recommended to gather data showcasing the sensitivity and specificity of individual markers or combinations thereof for cancer diagnosis.
Table 3 has been added which incorporates this information.
Part Numbering: Rectify the sequencing of parts, ensuring there is no direct jump from part 7 to part 11.
This has been corrected
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript reviewed whether proteins recognized by the immune system in patients with early lung cancer will be able to be used as non-invasive biomarkers for cancer development by incidental lung nodules, including TAA. At present, there are only a few reviews in this field, and this manuscript fully summarized the advantages and disadvantages of TAA as diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. There is one point that the authors can give a thought: Is it suitable to put the part "2. Incidental lung nodules" at this position? Figure 1 can also be drawn more aesthetically.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor editing of English language required: such as "early stage non-small cell lung cancer".
Author Response
There is one point that the authors can give a thought: Is it suitable to put the part "2. Incidental lung nodules" at this position? Figure 1 can also be drawn more aesthetically.
All mentions of incidental lung nodules have been curtailed and the section mentioned has been removed. Figure 1 has been made easier to read with more definitive colour choices.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsVery interesting review
Future recommendations section is mandatory to be added
Thorough revisions for typo and grammatical mistakes is needed
More schematic diagrams are also needed to summarize literature in a more reader frinedly approach
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageNeeds to be revised
Author Response
Reviewer 3:
Very interesting review
Thank you.
Future recommendations section is mandatory to be added
Thorough revisions for typo and grammatical mistakes is needed
Done
More schematic diagrams are also needed to summarize literature in a more reader frinedly approach
Figure 2 has been added as suggested
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAll figures still need to enhance resolution. The current version is poor in resolution.
Line 57. What is ADC, SCC?
Line 72. Should describe and have citations in the text . it is a suitable way to write in the figure legend like this: Data taken from [5,8-10].
Line 77-78: what does the author mean by this ” due to the difficulty in differentiating benign from malignant tumors”
Line 97. Should have a short introduction or link of CYFRA21-1 to the previous paragraph
Figure 3. should be generated with the author's own design.
Line 168-176. Should generate AUC curve to make strong evidence for the text
Comments on the Quality of English Languageneed to improve
Author Response
All figures still need to enhance resolution. The current version is poor in resolution.
The figures were at 300dpi but we agree the text remained blurry. We have enhanced the resolution further and believe this is now better.
Line 57. What is ADC, SCC?
These have been clarified on line 57 and 58.
Line 72. Should describe and have citations in the text . it is a suitable way to write in the figure legend like this: Data taken from [5,8-10].
This has been corrected.
Line 77-78: what does the author mean by this ” due to the difficulty in differentiating benign from malignant tumors”
This has been clarified by adding the words 'due to overlapping clinical and radiological features' on lines 77-78.
Line 97. Should have a short introduction or link of CYFRA21-1 to the previous paragraph
This has been added on line 83 and the paragraph below on CYFRA21-1 moved up to this place to flow better following the previous paragraph.
Figure 3. should be generated with the author's own design.
This figure is our own design. The data is from Gure et al. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-05-1203
Line 168-176. Should generate AUC curve to make strong evidence for the text
Now added with Figure legend as Figure 4
