The MUC gene family: their role in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Early diagnosis of gastric cancer and its differential diagnosis from other non-malignant gastric diseases like gastritis is still a major clinical problem. Most patients are asymptomatic in the early stages of gastric cancer, and there is no reliable marker available for the early and specific diagnosis of gastric cancer. Many attempts have been made to define the biological profile of gastric cancer to improve the chances of its early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Several studies have shown the aberrant expression profile of mucins in different malignancies, suggesting that mucins have a great potential to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in gastric cancer. In this review, we have briefly described the different types of gastric adenocarcinomas and the progression of gastric cancer. Furthermore, the role of mucins and their related carbohydrate epitope is discussed in the normal stomach and in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric adenocarcinomas.