Catching cancer signals in the blood:Innovative pathways for early esophageal cancer diagnosis  

作　　者：Yue Zhao Zhan Zhang Jian-Hao Qiu Rong-Yang Li Zhen-Guo Sun 

机构地区：[1]Department of Thoracic Surgery,Qilu Hospital of Shandong University,Jinan 250063,Shandong Province,China [2]Department of Thoracic Surgery,The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University,Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital,Jinan 250063,Shandong Province,China

出　　处：《World Journal of Gastroenterology》2025年第10期1-6,共6页世界胃肠病学杂志(英文)

基　　金：Supported by The National Key R and D Program of China,No.2021YFC2500904,No.2021YFC2500905 and No.2021YFC2500900;Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,No.ZR2023MH130 and No.ZR2017BH035;China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2020M672073;National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81802397.

摘　　要：In recent years,significant progress has been made in the application of DNA methylation for the early detection of esophageal cancer(EC).As an epigenetic modification,DNA methylation allows for noninvasive screening by detecting the methylation status of circulating tumor DNA.Studies have shown that the methylation of genes such as SHOX2,SEPTIN9,EPO,and RNF180 significantly improves diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.Currently,SEPTIN9 has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for colorectal cancer screening,while SHOX2 and EPO show promising results in EC,and RNF180 has potential in gastrointestinal tumors.This editorial reviews the study by Liu et al,which demonstrated the potential of combining the methylation of these four genes for early EC screening.In addition to their roles in early diagnosis,DNA methylation markers are gaining attention because of their roles in predicting recurrence and in postoperative follow-up.By monitoring changes in methylation levels,these markers can provide valuable insights into treatment efficacy and long-term management.As research progresses,liquid biopsy technology is expected to become an essential tool in the precision diagnosis and treatment of EC,benefiting patients significantly.

关 键 词：Esophageal cancer DNA methylation Circulating tumor DNA Early detection Liquid biopsy Treatment monitoring 

分 类 号：R73[医药卫生—肿瘤]