Potential markers found for stomach cancer prognosis

Researchers in Rhode Island have discovered two potential biomarkers that may be used to predict outcomes for stomach cancer patients.

According to the study, published in this month's issue of Clinical Cancer Research, stomach cancer patients with low levels of proteins gastrokine 1 and 2 (GKN1 and GKN2) are more likely to experience poor outcomes after surgery.

The median survival rate in patients with suppressed levels of GKN1 and GKN2 was about two years compared to a survival of more than ten years for patients with normal levels of the stomach proteins.

Lead author Dr Steven Moss, a gastroenterologist with Rhode Island Hospital, explained: "Unfortunately, stomach cancer is difficult to cure unless it's discovered early, but because the early stage of the disease has very few symptoms, the cancer is usually advanced by the time it's diagnosed.

"That's what makes our findings so significant, because if the potential markers identified in our study can help predict a patient's prognosis, we can decide right away which course of action to take and hopefully help patients live longer and more comfortably."

The National Cancer Institute states that approximately 760,000 new cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year.