Cell-free DNA methylation biomarkers for the early detection and tumor burden monitoring of gastric cancer.

Genome-wide cfDNA methylation profiling and GCML-score by LASSO regression for gastric cancer detection and monitoring

Cell-free DNA methylation biomarkers are developed for early detection and monitoring of gastric cancer. Genome-wide methylation profiles were established from 78 tissue samples and 241 plasma samples from 171 patients and 114 controls across two independent centers. A GCML-score developed by LASSO regression achieves AUC 0.95 on internal validation and 0.99 on an external cohort. The score also correlates with tumor burden and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Synthesis written by Geno'X. For the full original abstract, please refer to the source publication.

The reported AUC values are impressive, but the modest validation cohort size and retrospective design call for caution before clinical extrapolation. The application to neoadjuvant monitoring is the most original contribution, potentially useful for guiding surgical decisions.

Clinical impact: 2/3 · Evidence strength: 2/3 · Novelty: 1/2 · Sample size: 1/1 · Publication status: 1/1 → Total: 7/10