Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Disease Biomarker".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2023) | Viewed by 13699

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cancer patients. Nowadays, advances in detection technologies allow greater insight into the molecular mechanisms of a variety of malignancies. Additionally, biomarkers are currently in clinical practice with a prognostic role to identify patients’ outcome and a predictive role for response to chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy.

This Special Issue aims at reviewing the current state of cancer biomarker development and the prospects for improving cancer care with new technologies and biomarkers.

Dr. Michele Ghidini
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cancer biomarkers
  • cancer treatment
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted agents
  • chemotherapy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 590 KiB  
Article
Incidence and Patterns of Digestive Organ Cancer in Georgia: Insights from a Population-Based Registry Study in 2021
by Miranda Nonikashvili, Maia Kereselidze, Otar Toidze and Tina Beruchashvili
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(7), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13071121 - 10 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1336
Abstract
Digestive organ cancer, also known as gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, refers to cancer that occurs in the digestive tract. In this population-based registry study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of GI in Georgia and to identify any patterns in the occurrence of different [...] Read more.
Digestive organ cancer, also known as gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, refers to cancer that occurs in the digestive tract. In this population-based registry study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of GI in Georgia and to identify any patterns in the occurrence of different types of this disease. The study included all cases of GI cancer that were diagnosed in Georgia in 2021. We analyzed 1635 patients’ data to determine the overall and age-standardized incidence of GI cancer in the country. The analyses were performed for esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, anus, liver and intrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, and pancreas separately. The descriptive statistics used in the study—specifically counts, means, proportions, and rates—were calculated using the statistical software STATA version 17.0. (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). The results of the study showed that the incidence of digestive organ cancer in Georgia was similar to the global average. However, there were some notable differences in the specific types of GI cancer that were most common in the country. Overall, this study provides important insights into the incidence of digestive organ cancer in Georgia and highlights the need for further research to better understand the factors that contribute to this disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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9 pages, 902 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Prognostic Value of Low-Frequency KRAS Mutation Detection in Circulating Tumor DNA of Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
by Chien-Yu Lin, Ming-Yin Shen, William Tzu-Liang Chen and Chin-An Yang
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(7), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13071051 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
KRAS mutation in tumor tissue is a well-known predictor of resistance to the treatment of anti-EGFR antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). However, the prognostic value of low-frequency plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) KRAS mutation in predicting treatment resistance in pretreated mCRC patients [...] Read more.
KRAS mutation in tumor tissue is a well-known predictor of resistance to the treatment of anti-EGFR antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). However, the prognostic value of low-frequency plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) KRAS mutation in predicting treatment resistance in pretreated mCRC patients remains controversial. This study retrospectively reviewed the clinical course, including response to anti-EGFR and anti-VEGF therapies, and changes in serum tumor marker levels along with image studies in mCRC patients with <1.5% KRAS mutations detected in plasma ctDNA by next-generation sequencing (NGS) at a single center in Taiwan. We identified six pretreated mCRC patients with low-frequency KRAS G12V/G12D/G12S/G13D mutations (variant allele frequency 0.26~1.23%) in plasma ctDNA. Co-occurring low-frequency ctDNA mutations in APC, TP53, MAP2K1, KEAP1, or CTNNB1 were also detected. Although all six patients had treatment adjustments within one month after the ctDNA genetic test, image-evident tumor progression was noted in all patients within a median of 4 months afterwards. Re-challenge therapy with a combination of anti-EGFR, anti-VEGF, and FOLFIRI chemotherapy was found to be ineffective in a patient with 0.38% KRAS G12D mutation in baseline ctDNA. Our study suggests that the detection of low-frequency KRAS mutations in ctDNA could be used as a predictor of treatment response in mCRC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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11 pages, 769 KiB  
Article
Development of Predictive Models for the Response of Vestibular Schwannoma Treated with Cyberknife®: A Feasibility Study Based on Radiomics and Machine Learning
by Isa Bossi Zanetti, Elena De Martin, Riccardo Pascuzzo, Natascha Claudia D’Amico, Sara Morlino, Irene Cane, Domenico Aquino, Marco Alì, Michaela Cellina, Giancarlo Beltramo and Laura Fariselli
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(5), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13050808 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1950
Abstract
Purpose: to predict vestibular schwannoma (VS) response to radiosurgery by applying machine learning (ML) algorithms on radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment magnetic resonance (MR) images. Methods: patients with VS treated with radiosurgery in two Centers from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Brain [...] Read more.
Purpose: to predict vestibular schwannoma (VS) response to radiosurgery by applying machine learning (ML) algorithms on radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment magnetic resonance (MR) images. Methods: patients with VS treated with radiosurgery in two Centers from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Brain T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MR images were acquired before and at 24 and 36 months after treatment. Clinical and treatment data were collected contextually. Treatment responses were assessed considering the VS volume variation based on pre- and post-radiosurgery MR images at both time points. Tumors were semi-automatically segmented and radiomic features were extracted. Four ML algorithms (Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Neural Network, and extreme Gradient Boosting) were trained and tested for treatment response (i.e., increased or non-increased tumor volume) using nested cross-validation. For training, feature selection was performed using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, and the selected features were used as input to separately build the four ML classification algorithms. To overcome class imbalance during training, Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique was used. Finally, trained models were tested on the corresponding held out set of patients to evaluate balanced accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: 108 patients treated with Cyberknife® were retrieved; an increased tumor volume was observed at 24 months in 12 patients, and at 36 months in another group of 12 patients. The Neural Network was the best predictive algorithm for response at 24 (balanced accuracy 73% ± 18%, specificity 85% ± 12%, sensitivity 60% ± 42%) and 36 months (balanced accuracy 65% ± 12%, specificity 83% ± 9%, sensitivity 47% ± 27%). Conclusions: radiomics may predict VS response to radiosurgery avoiding long-term follow-up as well as unnecessary treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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16 pages, 11742 KiB  
Article
Association of Glycosylation-Related Genes with Different Patterns of Immune Profiles and Prognosis in Cervical Cancer
by Wanling Jing, Runjie Zhang, Xinyi Chen, Xuemei Zhang and Jin Qiu
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(3), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13030529 - 15 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1855
Abstract
(1) Background: Although the application of modern diagnostic tests and vaccination against human papillomavirus has markedly reduced the incidence and mortality of early cervical cancer, advanced cervical cancer still has a high death rate worldwide. Glycosylation is closely associated with tumor invasion, metabolism, [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Although the application of modern diagnostic tests and vaccination against human papillomavirus has markedly reduced the incidence and mortality of early cervical cancer, advanced cervical cancer still has a high death rate worldwide. Glycosylation is closely associated with tumor invasion, metabolism, and the immune response. This study explored the relationship among glycosylation-related genes, the immune microenvironment, and the prognosis of cervical cancer. (2) Methods and results: Clinical information and glycosylation-related genes of cervical cancer patients were downloaded from the TCGA database and the Molecular Signatures Database. Patients in the training cohort were split into two subgroups using consensus clustering. A better prognosis was observed to be associated with a high immune score, level, and status using ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA analyses. The differentially expressed genes were revealed to be enriched in proteoglycans in cancer and the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, as well as in the PI3K/AKT and the Hippo signaling pathways according to functional analyses, including GO, KEGG, and PPI. The prognostic risk model generated using the univariate Cox regression analysis, LASSO algorithm and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and prognostic nomogram successfully predicted the survival and prognosis of cervical cancer patients. (3) Conclusions: Glycosylation-related genes are correlated with the immune microenvironment of cervical cancer and show promising clinical prediction value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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Review

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16 pages, 1400 KiB  
Review
Immune Biomarkers in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Improving the Predictivity of Current Testing Methods
by Francesca Maria Porta, Elham Sajjadi, Konstantinos Venetis, Chiara Frascarelli, Giulia Cursano, Elena Guerini-Rocco, Nicola Fusco and Mariia Ivanova
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(7), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13071176 - 23 Jul 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3825
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a significant challenge in terms of prognosis and disease recurrence. The limited treatment options and the development of resistance to chemotherapy make it particularly difficult to manage these patients. However, recent research has been shifting its focus towards [...] Read more.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a significant challenge in terms of prognosis and disease recurrence. The limited treatment options and the development of resistance to chemotherapy make it particularly difficult to manage these patients. However, recent research has been shifting its focus towards biomarker-based approaches for TNBC, with a particular emphasis on the tumor immune landscape. Immune biomarkers in TNBC are now a subject of great interest due to the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in these tumors. This characteristic often coincides with the presence of PD-L1 expression on both neoplastic cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, a subset of TNBC harbor mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) TNBC, which is frequently accompanied by microsatellite instability (MSI). All of these immune biomarkers hold actionable potential for guiding patient selection in immunotherapy. To fully capitalize on these opportunities, the identification of additional or complementary biomarkers and the implementation of highly customized testing strategies are of paramount importance in TNBC. In this regard, this article aims to provide an overview of the current state of the art in immune-related biomarkers for TNBC. Specifically, it focuses on the various testing methodologies available and sheds light on the immediate future perspectives for patient selection. By delving into the advancements made in understanding the immune landscape of TNBC, this study aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field. The ultimate goal is to pave the way for the development of more personalized testing strategies, ultimately improving outcomes for TNBC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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Other

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10 pages, 2307 KiB  
Case Report
Krukenberg Tumor Related to Gallbladder Cancer in a Young Woman: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
by Giulia Grizzi, Michele Ghidini, Margherita Ratti, Marianna D’Ercole, Giulia Tanzi, Annalisa Abbiati, Andrea Celotti, Daniele Spada, Gian Luca Baiocchi and Maria Bonomi
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(6), 957; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13060957 - 6 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1805
Abstract
A gallbladder tumor is a rare condition, which usually spreads to the liver, lymph nodes, and other organs. A Krukenberg tumor, derived from the biliary tract and gallbladder cancers (GBCs), is an uncommon finding in routine clinical practice. Here, a case of a [...] Read more.
A gallbladder tumor is a rare condition, which usually spreads to the liver, lymph nodes, and other organs. A Krukenberg tumor, derived from the biliary tract and gallbladder cancers (GBCs), is an uncommon finding in routine clinical practice. Here, a case of a young woman with a Krukenberg tumor related to a previous diagnosis of GBC is reported. Differential diagnosis of an ovarian malignant lesion is challenging for both clinicians and pathologists. In order to provide a proper diagnosis, integrated multidisciplinary management is essential. The occurrence of Krukenberg tumors should be evaluated in the management of GBC, even if this is rare in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Biomarkers and Therapy)
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