Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is a complex disease that develops due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. As per the World Health Organization, cancer burden is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. While many types of cancers have been identified, there is still no perfect diagnostic test to detect cancers early. Researchers around the world are continuously working to find novel and reliable biomarkers that can help catch cancers in initial stages to significantly improve treatment outcomes. This article aims to provide an overview of cancer biomarkers and their potential role in diagnostics and therapeutics.
What are Cancer Biomarkers?
Cancer biomarkers, also known as biological markers or tumor markers, are substances, genes or characteristics that are objectively measured and evaluated as indicators of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacological responses to therapeutic interventions. In simple terms, they are biological molecules found in blood, tissue, or other body fluids that can be used as indicators of normal or disease processes including cancer. Ideally, a cancer biomarker should be cancer specific and allow detection of cancer significantly before it becomes clinically apparent.
Types of Cancer Biomarkers
Cancer biomarkers are broadly categorized into three types based on their function:
Prognostic Biomarkers – These biomarkers provide information about the natural history and aggressiveness of cancer. They can help predict patient outcomes and survival rates independently of therapies. For example, biomarker HER2 provides prognostic information about the aggressiveness of breast cancer.
Predictive Biomarkers – These help predict whether a particular treatment or therapy will be effective or not for a specific patient. They can assist in determining who will benefit most from a given therapy and who may only experience toxic effects. For instance, presence of estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR) predicts response to hormonal therapies in breast cancer.
Predisposition Biomarkers – Biomarkers that provide information about risk of developing cancer in the future are called predisposition biomarkers. They help identify individuals with inherited genetic susceptibility for cancer development. Some examples include gene mutations BRCA1/BRCA2 for breast and ovarian cancer risk.
According to Coherent Market Insights, Challenges and New Developments in Cancer Biomarkers Market are:
Despite growing significance, implementation of biomarkers in clinical practice still faces certain challenges including lack of standardization, high costs, variability in results and clinical validity issues for some exploratory biomarkers. Furthermore, majority of currently available biomarkers lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity for early cancer detection.
Research is actively ongoing to discover and validate novel biomarkers with improved predictive ability. Some areas showing promise include liquid biopsies for detection of circulating tumor cells, extracellular vesicles, and fragments of tumor DNA known as circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA. Multi-analyte biomarker panels and advanced bioinformatics are also being explored to develop highly sensitive and specific cancer screening tests. Integration of various data sources including genomics, proteomics and metabolic profiles holds potential to transform cancer diagnostics through predictive models based on biomarker signatures. With targeted efforts, reliable blood-based cancer screening may become a reality in the coming years through identification of robust biomarkers with high diagnostic accuracy.
Biomarkers in Cancer Treatment and Management
Other than diagnosis, biomarkers are also beneficial for guiding cancer treatment decisions and monitoring treatment response. Some key ways they help in management include:
– Targeted Therapy Selection – Biomarkers like HER2, ALK, ROS1 help identify patients likely to respond to targeted therapies against these biomarkers. This personalized approach maximizes treatment benefits.
– Immunotherapy Selection – Presence of PD-L1 assists in choosing patients who may benefit from immunotherapy drugs that block PD-L1 pathway. Other biomarkers also guide cancer vaccine development.
– Monitoring Treatment Response – Serial measurement of biomarkers like CEA, PSA help gauge treatment effectiveness against cancer. Their rising levels may point to therapeutic resistance or recurrence needing changes in treatment plan.
– Survival Prediction – Both generic and cancer specific biomarkers provide vital prognostic information about patient outcomes aiding healthcare resource planning and goals of care discussions.
– Recurrence Surveillance – Strategic biomarker testing during post-treatment follow-up allows early detection of cancer recurrence for prompt intervention avoiding metastatic progression.
Thus, usage of appropriate cancer biomarkers is transforming care by enabling personalized, outcomes-based cancer management for better patient outcomes. Their role is pivotal in the era of precision and individualized oncology.
Market Outlook
The global cancer biomarkers market is projected to witness significant growth over the next decade. Advancements in proteomics, genomics and detection technologies are expediting biomarker discovery at an unprecedented pace. With intensifying research focus on precision medicine and liquid biopsies, newer and more robust biomarkers are emerging which can address the unmet needs in early diagnosis and treatment management. However, for most predictive biomarkers, further extensive validation is still required to demonstrate clinical utility before widespread adoption in clinical settings. North America currently dominates the cancer biomarkers market owing to rising cancer burden, advanced healthcare infrastructure and supportive regulatory environment for biomarker research. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the long term driven by expanding diagnostic services, economic development and focus on improving cancer care programs. For more market insights, refer the extensive market research report by Coherent Market Insights.
