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Carcinoembryonic Antigen Family Cell Adhesion Molecules (CEACAM) as Colorectal Cancer Biomarkers

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Biomarkers in Cancer

Abstract

Each year, nearly one million people develop colorectal cancer, and 50 % of them are expected to die because of cancer within 5 years of diagnosis. Over the last two decades, significant advances in screening, surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and patient monitoring have improved the 5-year survival rate. Colorectal cancer is a molecularly heterogeneous disease, and the analysis of its molecular signatures and the identification of colorectal cancer biomarkers will lead to better screening approaches and personalized therapeutic plans. A biomarker is a substance that can be measured and used as an indicator of a biological and/or pathological state. In cancer pathology, biomarkers can be used to detect the disease, to predict prognosis or response to therapy, and to evaluate the efficacy of therapy thereby improving the patient’s life expectancy and quality of life. The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the biomarker most frequently used in colorectal cancer. It is effective in the surveillance of colorectal cancer patients and in monitoring the efficacy of therapy, whereas it is less useful in colorectal screening. Recent studies indicate that also CEA-related proteins (CEACAMs) are promising potential colorectal cancer biomarkers. CEA and CEACAM proteins play important roles in cancer pathology, and the analysis of their functions will be useful for the identification of diagnostic and/or prognostic factors and therapeutic targets in colorectal and other cancers.

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Abbreviations

CEA:

Carcinoembyonic Antigen

CEACAM:

Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Family Cell Adhesion Molecule

FOBT:

Fecal Occult Blood Test

GPI:

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol

Ig:

Immunoglobulin

IgCAM:

Ig-like Cell Adhesion Molecule

PCR:

Polymerase Chain Reaction

TNM:

Tumor Nodes Metastases

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Acknowledgments

The original experiments by the authors cited in this paper were supported by grants L.502/94 2006 from the Ministero della Salute and L.5/95 (to L. D. V.), grant POR Campania FSE 2007/2013 (CREME) from the Regione Campania (to F. S.), and grant RF-2010-2318372 from the Ministry of Health (to F. S.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate, s.c.a r.l, Naples, Italy

    Marica Gemei, Claudia Corbo, Francesco Salvatore & Luigi Del Vecchio

  2. Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Francesco Salvatore & Luigi Del Vecchio

  3. IRCCS-SDN, Naples, Italy

    Francesco Salvatore

Authors
  1. Marica Gemei
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  2. Claudia Corbo
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  3. Francesco Salvatore
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  4. Luigi Del Vecchio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Salvatore .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine King’s College London, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Division of Diabetes & Nutritional Scien, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. Faculty of Science & Technology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Gemei, M., Corbo, C., Salvatore, F., Del Vecchio, L. (2015). Carcinoembryonic Antigen Family Cell Adhesion Molecules (CEACAM) as Colorectal Cancer Biomarkers. In: Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Biomarkers in Cancer. Biomarkers in Disease: Methods, Discoveries and Applications. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7681-4_30

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