Tumour biomarkers: diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive:

Biomarker classification, validation, and what to look for in 2017 and beyond

“…Shaw et al present a neurosurgical case and then frames a series of ‘questions and answers’ on the biomarkers used to solve it. Let's summarise some of the key answers directly:…”

“…Think of this as a weather report – frequency of an event you cannot change. Predictive: identifies which treatment a patient will respond to. Response indicator: measures a treatment response. An undetectable PSA level after radical prostatectomy would be an example. Biomarkers can have multiple properties. Good examples: Bence‐Jones proteins – cited as the first cancer biomarker for diagnosis of multiple myeloma. PSA – an obvious example (32 674 citations in PubMed). Consider that its use can be diagnostic, prognostic, and response indicator.…”

“…Consider that its use can be diagnostic, prognostic, and response indicator. PSA can be diagnostic: (i) serum PSA for screening or (ii) tissue staining for PSA to determine metastatic origin of a distant site. Breast cancer: oestrogen/progesterone receptors (ERs/PRs) are prognostic; human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) is predictive, as it suggests trastuzumab can be effective. Brain lesion: in the discussion from Shaw et al they solved a case with E‐cadherin and ER – a malignant lesion that metastasised from the breast. Not‐so‐good examples: Chou et al reviewed our commercially available biomarkers for bladder cancer. The goal (clinical utility) of these biomarkers is to provide a useful alternative or adjunct to cystoscopy for the diagnosis or monitoring of bladder cancer.…”

“… A BMJ case report discussed around the topic of simple biomarker nomenclature and classification . A comprehensive review of urinary biomarkers for bladder cancer . A validation study of a biomarker linked to sunitinib response in metastatic clear cell renal cancer . A review of immunotherapy in urological cancers . Two companion reviews of biomarker validation in immunotherapy . …”

Liquid Biopsies for Neuroendocrine Tumors: Circulating Tumor Cells, DNA, and MicroRNAs

“…Biomarkers can be divided into three main subgroups: diagnostic if they help to determine the presence and type of cancer, prognostic if they provide information on the patient's overall cancer outcome or predictive if they give information about which particular treatment the patient is most likely to respond to. In the last case, they may be used as a target for therapy 3 .…”