The Role of Biomarkers in  Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers

Nathalie Baudoux; Francine Aubin

doi:10.58931/cot.2025.2133

Authors

Nathalie Baudoux, MD Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC
Francine Aubin, MD, FRCPC Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cot.2025.2133

Abstract

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers include esophageal, esophagogastric junction, and stomach cancers, which together represent the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide in both sexes, with approximately 1,100,000 deaths in 2022. The disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced non-curable stage, and conventional chemotherapy treatment is associated with poor prognosis. Advances have been made in the development of new therapies, including immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Biomarker identification has expanded treatment options and guides treatment selection. This article reviews the molecular characterization of GI cancers, which has been the subject of increasing research, and biomarker-targeted agents, representing a continually evolving landscape in upper GI cancers.

Author Biographies

Nathalie Baudoux, MD, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC

Dr. Baudoux is currently a fellow and clinical instructor in gastrointestinal oncology at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). She obtained her medical degree from the University of Tours (France) and then completed a residency in internal medicine and medical oncology in Switzerland.

Francine Aubin, MD, FRCPC, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC

Dr. Francine Aubin received a medical degree from the Université de Montréal in 2002. She completed her residencies in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology at the same establishment. She is certified in all three specialties by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She specialized in gastrointestinal oncology during her fellowship at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver in 2009–2010. Dr. Aubin has been working as a hemato-oncologist since 2010 at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). Her practice is mainly dedicated to treating gastrointestinal malignancies. She is actively involved in clinical research and contributes to a number of Phase I, II, and III studies. As a clinical associate professor at the Université de Montréal, she is actively engaged in education. She is the associate director of the Medical Oncology Training Program committee of the Université de Montréal. She is also in charge of the Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at the CHUM.

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The Role of Biomarkers in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers

Authors

DOI:

Abstract

Author Biographies

Nathalie Baudoux, MD, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC

Francine Aubin, MD, FRCPC, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC

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