Bacterial biomarkers: new aspects of colorectal tumors diagnosis: reality or fantasy

As one of the most common cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered as a significant leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Gut microbiota is part of a complex microbial-based ecosystem in the human body so that changes in the microbiota could lead to a variety of diseases. A growing number of studies have shown that bacteria are both individually and collectively involved in the progression of CRC. The present review study provided a summary of some of the available data on the advantages and limitations of current CRC screening methods as well as gut biomarkers including genetic, epigenetic, and protein markers. Moreover, a summary of the applications and limitations in the detection of gut microbiota markers as well as their role in early diagnosis and timely treatment response in CRC patients was provided. Copyright (c) 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.