Researchers in the US have identified two potential biomarkers that could serve to help physicians predict outcomes for stomach cancer patients.

A study published in Clinical Cancer Research found that low amounts of proteins, known as gastrokine 1 and 2 (GKN1 and GKN2), could be linked to poor post surgery outcomes in patients with stomach cancer.

Looking at tissue samples from more than 150 stomach cancer patients who had undergone surgery, the researchers discovered a near total suppression of GKN1 and GKN2 in the majority of patients.

Lead author of the report, gastroenterologist Dr Steven Moss, said: "Unfortunately, stomach cancer is difficult to cure unless it's discovered early, but because the early stage of the disease has very few symptoms, the cancer is usually advanced by the time it's diagnosed.

"That's what makes our findings so significant, because if the potential markers identified in our study can help predict a patient's prognosis, we can decide right away which course of action to take and hopefully help patients live longer and more comfortably."

According to the National Cancer Institute, each year approximately 760,000 cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed worldwide.

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