Research progress of biomarkers in diagnosis and therapy of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common human malignant diseases, the cumulative result of genetic and epigenetic mutations, and its mortality rate is second only to that of lung cancer. Most patients with CRC have developed to middle to advanced stage when symptoms appear, and the treatment effects of surgery and chemotherapy are usually not satisfactory. With the emergence of targeted drugs in recent years, individualized treatment of colorectal cancer has gradually become a trend. With the development of colorectal cancer research, more and more molecular markers of colorectal cancer have been continuously discovered, and its impact on tumorigenesis, development and treatment has gradually received more attention. The application of molecular markers in the screening of colorectal cancer can help the early detection and diagnosis. Detection of molecular markers before individualized treatment can optimize the treatment plan and prompt the patient's prognosis. In this paper, the most recent findings of molecular markers with promising clinical application were summarized, in order to provide reference for the early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. Key words: Colorectal cancer; Biomarker; CpG island methylator phenotype; Oncogene; Tumor suppressor gene