Parang K, Paydary K. Inflammation and detection: Rethinking the biomarker landscape in gastric cancer. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(9): 109717 [PMID: 41024850 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i9.109717]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Keykavous Parang, PhD, Full Professor, PharmD, Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, United States. parang@chapman.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Sep 24, 2025; 16(9): 109717 Published online Sep 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i9.109717
Inflammation and detection: Rethinking the biomarker landscape in gastric cancer
Keykavous Parang, Koosha Paydary
Keykavous Parang, Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, United States
Koosha Paydary, Section of Hematology/Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Author contributions: Parang K designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Parang K and Paydary K contributed to this paper, the writing and editing of the manuscript, and reviewed the literature; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have nothing to disclose.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Keykavous Parang, PhD, Full Professor, PharmD, Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, United States. parang@chapman.edu
Received: May 20, 2025 Revised: July 5, 2025 Accepted: August 1, 2025 Published online: September 24, 2025 Processing time: 127 Days and 5.1 Hours
Abstract
Gastric carcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, yet reliable noninvasive biomarkers for its early detection remain limited. As research continues to elucidate the inflammatory underpinnings of tumor initiation and progression, it has become increasingly clear that pro-inflammatory cytokines may hold promise as diagnostic adjuncts. Serum cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and interferon-gamma have been frequently reported as elevated in gastric cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. These molecules, known for their roles in modulating tumor-promoting inflammation, angiogenesis, and immune evasion, may serve as accessible indicators of disease presence or progression. Several studies have shown that individual cytokines, particularly IL-6 and IL-8, can achieve receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve values exceeding 0.70, suggesting reasonable diagnostic utility. We assess the comparative utility of individual cytokines versus multiplex panels, evaluate their roles in tumor biology and treatment resistance, and situate these findings within the broader inflammatory biomarker landscape. Limitations of the current literature, including small sample sizes, heterogeneity in study design, and lack of specificity, are critically discussed. We advocate for prospective, multicenter validation studies and highlight the promise of integrating inflammatory cytokine profiling into diagnostic algorithms. Composite cytokine panels may better reflect the complex immunobiology of tumor progression and offer a scalable, accessible adjunct to current gastric cancer screening strategies.
Core Tip: This letter evaluates the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of key inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and interferon-gamma, in gastric carcinoma (GC). These molecules are discussed as both biomarkers and drivers of tumor progression and chemoresistance. The discussion situates these markers within a broader inflammatory biomarker landscape that includes IL-10, IL-11, IL-18, C-X-C motif ligand 9, and host genetic factors. The analysis supports the use of multiplex cytokine panels over single markers for GC detection and treatment stratification, and outlines future directions for clinical integration and biomarker-guided therapy.
