Salivary biomarkers as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
TL;DR
Salivary biomarkers show strong potential for noninvasive GC early detection, however, due to significant variability in biomarkers utilized, more homogenous studies are needed to better address the question.
Abstract
Background
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with an average survival of just 12 months. Its aggressive nature and nonspecific symptoms often lead to late-stage diagnosis. Current diagnostic methods rely heavily on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which is invasive and costly. Saliva-based biomarkers have emerged as a promising noninvasive approach for GC diagnosis, although their clinical applicability remains uncertain. RESEARCH
Design
AND
Methods
We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies evaluating saliva-based diagnostics for GC. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated with 95% confidence intervals using RStudio version 4.2.3.
Results
Eleven studies involving 1,119 patients (760 with GC) were included. In the GC group 63.8% were male and biomarkers vary between studies. The pooled sensitivity was 86.3% (95% CI: 0.76-0.93; I2 = 82%), and specificity was 85.5% (95% CI: 0.79-0.91; I2 = 19%). The summary ROC curve had an AUC of 87.6%, with a normalized partial AUC of 67.2%.
Conclusion
Salivary biomarkers show strong potential for noninvasive GC early detection. Which represents a significant opportunity to change the natural history of gastric cancer. However, due to significant variability in biomarkers utilized, more homogenous studies are needed to better address the question.