Gastrointestinal and Its Associated Malignancies: Diagnosis, Targets and Therapies

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2025) | Viewed by 1134

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Division of Hematology & Oncology—Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
Interests: GI cancers; translational research; cancer therapeutics

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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, GIS, GITAM (Deemed to Be University), Visakhapatnam 530045, India
Interests: cancer metastasis; anticancer drugs
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gastrointestinal cancers constitute a heterogenous and aggressive group of malignancies characterized by high relapse rates. They are ranked as the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and this emphasizes the pressing need for advancements in both their diagnosis and treatment strategies. Unfortunately, a significant number of patients face late-stage diagnoses due to the unremarkable nature of early symptoms and the limited prevalence of regular screenings.

Diagnostic procedures include a range of techniques such as endoscopy, barium swallow, CT, NMR, PET/CT scans, and biomarker testing, as well as MRI with gadolinium and laparoscopy. This delayed identification, coupled with the constraints of available therapies, contributes to a grim prognosis, especially for individuals with advanced gastric cancer, resulting in a short lifespan of approximately one year. Standard treatment modalities involve radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, yet their effectiveness is impeded by challenges like multi-drug resistance and tumor relapse.

Perioperative chemotherapy has emerged as the norm for resectable GI, while ongoing research explores the potential benefits of targeted therapy and immunotherapy across diverse clinical setups. Recent advancements in immunotherapy and biomarker-guided therapies offer optimism for enhanced outcomes, particularly in metastatic cases. The molecular classification of gastric cancer, utilizing biomarkers such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), microsatellite instability (MSI), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), facilitates tailored treatment approaches. Molecular diagnostics play a pivotal role in characterizing genetic profiles, identifying potential molecular targets, and shaping personalized therapeutic strategies, representing the significant progress made in managing this intricate and challenging group of cancers.

Dr. Ganji P. Nagaraju
Dr. Seema Kumari
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • GI cancers
  • oncogenesis
  • diagnosis
  • target identification
  • biomarkers
  • therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 1250 KiB  
Review
Effect of Gut Dysbiosis on Onset of GI Cancers
by Seema Kumari, Mundla Srilatha and Ganji Purnachandra Nagaraju
Cancers 2025, 17(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17010090 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 721
Abstract
Dysbiosis in the gut microbiota plays a significant role in GI cancer development by influencing immune function and disrupting metabolic functions. Dysbiosis can drive carcinogenesis through pathways like immune dysregulation and the release of carcinogenic metabolites, and altered metabolism, genetic instability, and pro-inflammatory [...] Read more.
Dysbiosis in the gut microbiota plays a significant role in GI cancer development by influencing immune function and disrupting metabolic functions. Dysbiosis can drive carcinogenesis through pathways like immune dysregulation and the release of carcinogenic metabolites, and altered metabolism, genetic instability, and pro-inflammatory signalling, contributing to GI cancer initiation and progression. Helicobacter pylori infection and genotoxins released from dysbiosis, lifestyle and dietary habits are other factors that contribute to GI cancer development. Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic approaches show promise in colorectal cancer treatment, including the multitarget faecal immunochemical test (mtFIT), standard FIT, and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) combined with PD-1 inhibitors. We used search engine databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. This review discusses the role of dysbiosis in GI cancer onset and explores strategies such as FMT, probiotics, and prebiotics to enhance the immune response and improve cancer therapy outcomes. Full article
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