The outpost against cancer: universal cancer only markers

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Early detection of cancer can lower the mortality of all types of cancer; however, effective early-detection biomarkers are lacking for most types of cancers. DNA methylation has always been a major target of interest because DNA methylation usually occurs before other detectable genetic changes. While investigating the common features of cancer using a novel guide positioning sequencing for DNA methylation, a series of universal cancer only markers (UCOMs) have emerged as strong candidates for effective and accurate early detection of cancer. While the clinical value of current cancer biomarkers is diminished by low sensitivity and/or low specificity, the unique characteristics of UCOMs ensure clinically meaningful results. Validation of the clinical potential of UCOMs in lung, cervical, endometrial, and urothelial cancers further supports the application of UCOMs in multiple cancer types and various clinical scenarios. In fact, the applications of UCOMs are currently under active investigation with further evaluation in the early detection of cancer, auxiliary diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and recurrence monitoring. The molecular mechanisms by which UCOMs detect cancers are the next important topics to be investigated. The application of UCOMs in real-world scenarios also requires implementation and refinement.

Keywords: Cancer detection; DNA methylation; cancer biomarkers; cancer epigenetics; cancer screening.