| Title: | Plasma protein biomarkers for early risk prediction of colorectal cancer. |
| Journal: | Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention |
| Published: | 26 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42360306/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-26-0341 |
Publication 20819
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prospective studies are necessary to determine the association between circulating proteins and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, offering non-invasive biomarkers for early CRC risk prediction and interventions.</p>
METHODS: The Olink Explore-3072 platform was employed to measure 2,923 plasma proteins in 53,073 UK Biobank participants. Cox regression analyses assessed associations between normalized protein expression and CRC risk. We developed a protein score for CRC risk prediction and compared it with a traditional risk model (incorporating age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and family history of CRC) using Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis.</p>
RESULTS: Over an average 10.8-year follow-up, 652 CRC cases occurred. After multivariable adjustment, seven proteins showed significant associations with CRC risk (false discovery rate-corrected P values < 0.05). Hazard ratios (HRs) for CRC per one standard deviation increase in levels of these proteins ranged from 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.29) to 1.38 (95% CI, 1.23-1.55). Compared with the lowest quintile, the highest quintile of the seven-protein score was associated with an HR for CRC of 4.27 (95% CI, 3.17-5.75). The protein score model and traditional risk factor model showed similar predictive performance for 5-year CRC risk (both areas under the curve [AUC] =0.68), while the combined model showed an AUC of 0.70.</p>
CONCLUSIONS: This study established a panel of seven plasma proteins that may help identify high-risk individuals for CRC.</p>
IMPACT: This study highlights the potential of plasma protein biomarkers as non-invasive tools for early detection and personalized prevention strategies of CRC.</p>
7 Authors
- Weiwei Chen
- Xianxiu Ge
- Chenyue Hu
- Yuefan Shen
- Lin Miao
- Dong Hang
- Wei Zhao
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