Predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response in renal cell carcinoma: why have they failed?

Immunoediting and precision biomarkers in prostate cancer: The emerging role of liquid biopsy, immune contexture and HLA genotype (Review)

The present review examines the emerging role of germline human leukocyte antigen class I genotype as a prognostic and predictive biomarker, explicitly integrating it with tissue-based immune contexture and liquid biopsy readouts by proposing immunoediting as a unifying mechanistic framework that links allele-specific antigen presentation to immune infiltration.

Biomarkers Predictive of Immunotherapy Efficacy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Insights and Future Perspectives

ABSTRACT With the approval of immunotherapies by regulatory bodies, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment has been revolutionized, and anti‐programmed cell death‐1 (anti‐PD‐1) agents are now the standard for platinum‐resistant recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. However, programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression does not always align with treatment efficacy, and given the risk of immune‐related toxicities and high costs, identifying predictive biomarkers is crucial. This review comprehensively examines the current evidence for diverse biomarkers predictive of HNSCC response to anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 therapy, including but not limited to PD‐L1 expression, tumor mutational burden (TMB), features of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and circulating biomarkers. This integrative approach aims to overcome current limitations, comprehensively evaluate immunotherapy response potential, enhance prognostic assessment, and ultimately guide personalized treatment strategies in clinical practice for HNSCC patients.

From Tumor Biology to Clinical Perspectives: Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Insights in Gastric Cancer

: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Accurate early detection, timely diagnostic stratification, and robust prognostic risk assessment are essential for optimizing clinical outcomes and improving survival duration. However, conventional serological biomarkers demonstrate limited diagnostic performance owing to suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, while standard chemotherapy and targeted therapies provide only modest survival benefits in GC. Marked inter-and intratumoral heterogeneity further characterizes GC as a biologically complex and treatment-resistant malignancy. To date, significant progress has been made in comprehensively delineating the complex molecular pathogenesis of GC, providing a strong rationale for the development of novel biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets. The aim of this review is to systematically summarize recent advances ranging from aberrant genetic and epigenetic alterations; dysregulation of oncogenic signaling pathways; sophisticated crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment; intricate microbiota-inflammation interactions; fundamental discoveries to potential clinical translation, including novel biomarkers for early detection, diagnosis and prognostic stratification; and emerging therapeutic strategies for GC. Collectively, this work provides a conceptual framework for advancing precision medicine in GC.

Predictors of immunotherapy response in gastric cancer: the role of the tumor microenvironment and integrative predictive models.

The role of serologic biomarkers “liquid biopsy” in the fight against breast cancer: From biological foundations to clinical impact

Summary Liquid biopsy, analyzing circulating tumor-derived components, including ctDNA, circulating tumor cells, microRNAs, and exosomes, has emerged as a key tool in precision oncology. This review synthesizes evidence from the past five years, covering biological mechanisms, analytical platforms, clinical applications, and implementation barriers. Evidence from multiple clinical studies suggests ctDNA shows higher sensitivity for metastatic disease monitoring than conventional biomarkers such as CA15-3 and circulating tumor cells. For minimal residual disease detection, tumor-informed assays demonstrate sensitivity of 88%–100% and provide a median lead time of 8–15 months before clinical relapse. Despite these advances, early-stage cancer detection remains suboptimal, cost-effectiveness evidence is limited, and disparities in access are increasing. We critically evaluate current technologies and translational gaps and highlight the need for standardized clinical integration pathways. Overall, liquid biopsy is transitioning from a complementary diagnostic tool toward a longitudinal framework for cancer management, although substantial methodological and systemic challenges remain.

Tissue and blood-based predictive biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy: synthesis of 2023–2026 evidence and a proposed clinical integration framework

Atezolizumab-bevacizumab and durvalumab-tremelimumab have established immunotherapy as a first-line standard of care in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, objective response rates (ORRs) remain confined to approximately 15-20%, and no validated predictive biomarker exists for patient selection. Unlike melanoma and lung cancer, conventional markers, including programmed death-ligand 1, microsatellite instability-high status, and tumor mutational burden, have not demonstrated reliable predictive value in HCC. Prior narrative reviews comprehensively catalogued the biomarker landscape through 2022 but predate a wave of clinically significant publications. This narrative review synthesizes evidence published between 2020 and 2026, with particular emphasis on 2023–2026 data, within a unified clinical framework not provided by prior reviews. We critically evaluate tissue-based biomarkers, including the AI-derived Atezolizumab-Bevacizumab Response Signature-Pathology model, spatial multiplex immunohistochemistry, and β-catenin mutational profiling; blood-based biomarkers encompassing circulating tumor DNA for minimal residual disease detection and peripheral immune phenotyping; and serum indices including the CRAFITY score and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Hepatitis B virus etiology and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are discussed as biological modifiers of biomarker performance. We propose an original biomarker-guided clinical algorithm, a comparative clinical readiness table, and a disease-continuum biomarker timeline as practical tools for clinicians and trialists. Prospective biomarker-enrichment trials represent the most critical next step toward clinical translation.