title: Molecular alterations in gastric cancer with special reference to the early-onset subtype.
abstract: Currently, gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed neoplasms, with a global burden of 723000 deaths in 2012. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. There are numerous possible factors that stimulate the pro-carcinogenic activity of important genes. These factors include genetic susceptibility expressed in a single-nucleotide polymorphism, various acquired mutations (chromosomal instability, microsatellite instability, somatic gene mutations, epigenetic alterations) and environmental circumstances (e.g., Helicobcter pylori infection, EBV infection, diet, and smoking). Most of the aforementioned pathways overlap, and authors agree that a clear-cut pathway for GC may not exist. Thus, the categorization of carcinogenic events is complicated. Lately, it has been claimed that research on early-onset gastric carcinoma (EOGC) and hereditary GC may contribute towards unravelling some part of the mystery of the GC molecular pattern because young patients are less exposed to environmental carcinogens and because carcinogenesis in this setting may be more dependent on genetic factors. The comparison of various aspects that differ and coexist in EOGCs and conventional GCs might enable scientists to: distinguish which features in the pathway of gastric carcinogenesis are modifiable, discover specific GC markers and identify a specific target. This review provides a summary of the data published thus far concerning the molecular characteristics of GC and highlights the outstanding features of EOGC.
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skierucha
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Anya Na
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: G Johan A
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Offerhaus
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Polkowski
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maciejewski
authors.affiliation: Małgorzata Skierucha, Ryszard Maciejewski, Robert Sitarz, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sitarz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D040941:Heredity; D006801:Humans; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Chromosomal instability; Early-onset gastric cancer; Epigenetic alterations; Gastric cancer; Loss of heterozygosity; Microsatellite instability; Molecular alterations; Single-nucleotide polymorphism