Novel liquid biomarkers could change colorectal cancer detection

A new review in Clinica Chimica Acta says emerging liquid biomarkers may improve early detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring for colorectal cancer. The findings point to less invasive testing that could help patients get diagnosed earlier, when survival rates are highest.

Why it matters: - Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer illness and death worldwide. - The review says liquid biomarkers could make screening less invasive and easier for patients to accept. - Earlier detection matters because localized colorectal cancer has survival rates above 90%, while survival drops below 15% after the disease spreads.

What happened: - A new narrative review published in Clinica Chimica Acta examined emerging liquid biomarker research for colorectal cancer. - The study reviewed evidence on early detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring. - The review focused on technologies including circulating tumor DNA, microRNAs, genomic markers, epigenomic markers, gut microbiome markers, metabolomic markers and proteomic markers. - The authors said these biomarkers could improve early detection, risk assessment and monitoring of treatment efficacy.

The details: - The review used a structured literature search for studies published from 2010 to 2025. - The authors searched PubMed/NCBI, Scopus and Web of Science. - Search terms included colorectal cancer, early detection, biomarkers, ctDNA, miRNA, epigenetics, microbiome, proteomics and metabolomics. - Priority went to original research and high-quality review papers tied directly to colorectal cancer. - The authors screened overlapping studies to reduce redundancy and strengthen the analysis. - Conventional screening methods like colonoscopy and fecal-based tests remain important for lowering colorectal cancer deaths. - The review says colonoscopy is invasive because it requires bowel preparation and sedation. - Fecal tests can be limited by patient adherence. - Blood and stool-based biomarkers may be more acceptable to patients than colonoscopy. - The World Health Organization ranks colorectal cancer as the third most diagnosed cancer globally and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. - The Global Cancer Observatory estimated about 1.9 million new colorectal cancer cases and 904,000 deaths worldwide in 2022. - The review says future disease burden is likely to rise because of population aging, urbanization, obesity, sedentary lifestyles and higher consumption of red and processed meat.

Between the lines: - This is a research review, not a clinical trial or a new approved test. - The shift matters because biomarker-driven screening could move care earlier, when treatment works best. - The authors frame multi-omics research as a bridge between discovery science and routine diagnosis. - Personalized biomarker profiling could help refine screening strategies and treatment selection.

What's next: - The review suggests biomarkers could be integrated into colorectal cancer screening programs to improve access and equity. - The authors expect biomarker-driven methods and multi-omics tools to keep advancing as research progresses. - Future work will need to move from discovery toward clinical implementation and broader use in practice. - The DOI for the study is 10.1016/j.cca.2026.121013.