Upper gastrointestinal cancers, mainly including esophageal cancer and gastric cancer, are among the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In 2018, there was an estimated of 1.5 million new cases and 1.3 million deaths, posing a heavy burden to global health. Specifically, esophageal cancer ranked 7th in incidence and 6th in mortality, and gastric cancer ranked 5th in incidence and 4th in mortality. Compared to other malignancies, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, etc., the early detection and personalized treatment of upper gastrointestinal cancer, especially the molecular basis, are insufficiently investigated. Finding novel molecular targets for early detection, personalized treatment, and new drug development could help improve the outcomes of patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer.

This Research Topic has been dedicated to investigating the specific molecular targets and novel pathways involved in carcinogenesis of the esophagus and stomach, which may be targeted for early diagnosis, personalized precision medicine, as well as new drug development. The research articles will encourage but are not limited to liquid biopsy, new diagnosis and prevention methods, pathophysiology and pathogenesis, drug response prediction, and novel drug development for upper gastrointestinal cancers (including esophageal and gastric cancer). Clinical research, as well as in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies are all welcomed. Review and perspective articles should be aimed at comprehensively providing advances and future perspectives from basic research to translational research in search of new potential targets for disease diagnosis and treatment. Manuscripts further exploring the novel approaches in designing drugs to block the pathways and mechanisms of such disease conditions would be welcomed. Studies on precancerous lesions of upper gastrointestinal cancers, including intraepithelial neoplasia, Barrett’s esophagus, and atrophic gastritis are also welcomed.

The Topic Editors welcome original research articles, reviews, opinions and perspective articles including but not limited to the following themes:
• Investigations on the pathophysiological mechanism and molecular basis of upper gastrointestinal carcinogenesis;
• Biomarker-based liquid biopsy of upper gastrointestinal cancers (esophageal cancer and gastric cancer);
• Targets for personalized precisive treatment, including disease surveillance, prediction of prognosis and drug response;
• Drug design and pharmacological interventions approach against upper gastrointestinal cancer
• Researches on diagnostic and therapeutic targets of upper gastrointestinal precancerous lesions, including intraepithelial neoplasia, Barrett’s esophagus, atrophic gastritis, etc.;
• Novel prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods or strategies of upper gastrointestinal cancers

Submit your idea

Authors

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

Impact