Epigenetic modification of several genes is a key component in the development of gastric cancer. The methylation status of RASSF1A, SOX17 and Wif-1 genes was evaluated in the cell free circulating DNA of 70 patients with advanced gastric cancer, using methylation-specific PCR. Patients with higher cell-free DNA concentration seem to have lower PFS, than patients with lower cell-free DNA concentration (p = 0.001). RASSF1A was the tumor suppressor gene, most frequently methylated in metastatic gastric cancer patients, followed by SOX17 and Wif-1 (74.3%, 60.0% and 47.1%, respectively). Patients having the SOX17 promoter methylated, had lower progression free survival and overall survival, than unmethylated ones (p < 0.001). Patients having the Wif-1 promoter methylated, had lower progression free survival and overall survival, than unmethylated ones (p = 0.001). Patients having the RASSF1A promoter methylated, had lower progression free survival and overall survival, than unmethylated ones (p = 0.004). Promoter methylation of the examined genes was significantly associated with a decrease in progression free survival and overall survival, comparing to that of patients without methylation. Simultaneous methylation of the above genes was associated with even worse progression free survival and overall survival. The methylation of RASSF1A, SOX-17 and Wif-1 and genes, is a frequent epigenetic event in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Article Association between SOX17, Wif-1 and RASSF1A promoter methylation status and response to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic gastric cancer was published on February 1, 2021 in the journal Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) (volume 59, issue 2).

Malignancies of the female upper reproductive tract, especially endometrial and ovarian cancers, generate a significant burden for women worldwide. The possible etiopathogenetic role of chronic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the carcinogenesis of the female upper genital tract is neither clearly established not completely understood. Therefore, we performed a literature review, using the PubMed and SCOPUS electronic databases, of the prevalence of HPV DNA in endometrial, primary fallopian tube, ovarian, and primary peritoneal cancers, as well as uterine sarcomas. The present investigation covered 35 studies from different countries on various continents. Overall, the prevalence of HPV was approximately 15% in all the above cancers. HPV DNA was isolated from 11%, 0%, 0%, and 14% of endometrial carcinomas, uterine sarcomas, primary fallopian tube cancers, and ovarian malignant neoplasms, respectively. No relevant studies on primary peritoneal cancers were retrieved. The predominant HPV strain from tumors of the upper female reproductive tract, regardless of the tumor site, was HPV-16, followed by HPV-18. The HPV DNA identified was exclusively from subtypes HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-33, which are responsible for the development of not only cervical cancer, but also condylomata acuminata. The findings of the present review indicate that HPV vaccination might prove to be a useful strategy in the prevention of HPV-related carcinomas of the upper genital tract in women.

Gastric cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, largely due to its late-stage diagnosis. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising, minimally invasive method for early cancer detection, leveraging circulating biomarkers such as nucleic acids, extracellular vesicles, and tumor cells. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the emerging role of liquid biopsy as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of primary gastric cancer, focusing on the past five years of published research. Following PRISMA guidelines and based on the PICO framework, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed and Scopus databases, yielding 620 articles. After screening and eligibility assessment, 16 studies were included. Quality evaluation was performed using the QUADAS-2 tool and Analytical Validation Summaries. The included studies demonstrated consistently high diagnostic performance of various liquid biopsy-derived biomarkers. Notably, circulating non-coding RNAs-particularly miRNAs, circRNAs, lncRNAs, and tsRNAs-showed high sensitivity and specificity in early-stage gastric cancer detection. DNA methylation signatures, cfDNA fragmentomics, lipidomic profiles, and folate receptor-positive CTCs, also emerged as valuable diagnostic modalities. Most studies reported area under the curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.85, with several outperforming conventional serum markers, such as CEA and CA19-9. Liquid biopsy holds significant promise as a non-invasive, accurate diagnostic approach for early gastric cancer. RNA-based and cfDNA-based biomarkers, in particular, exhibit strong potential for integration into routine screening protocols. Further large-scale, prospective validation studies are warranted to support clinical translation and standardization.

Malignancies of the female upper reproductive tract, especially endometrial and ovarian cancers, consist a significant burden for women worldwide. The possible etiopathogenetic role of chronic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the female upper genital tract carcinogenesis is neither clearly established not completely understood. Therefore, we performed a literature review through PubMed and SCOPUS electronic databases about the prevalence of HPV DNA in endometrial, primary fallopian tube, ovarian and primary peritoneal cancers, as well as uterine sarcomas. The present investigation covered 35 studies from different countries of various continents. Overall, HPV prevalence was approximately 15% in all the above cancers. HPV DNA was isolated from 11%, 0%, 0% and 14% of endometrial carcinomas, uterine sarcomas, primary fallopian tube cancers and ovarian malignant neoplasms, respectively. No relevant studies on primary peritoneal cancers were retrieved. The predominant HPV strain from all tumors of the upper female reproductive tract, regardless of the tumor site, was mostly HPV-16, followed by HPV-18. HPV DNA was identified exclusively from subtypes HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-33, which are responsible for the development of not only cervical cancer, but also of condylomata acuminata. The findings of the present review indicate that HPV vaccination might prove to be a useful strategy in the prevention HPV-related carcinomas of the upper genital tract in women.