Advanced precancerous lesions within the GI tract: The molecular background

The mainstream carcinogenic processes involved within the gastrointestinal tract are characterized by phenotypic multistep progression cascades that eventually result in full-blown cancers. In this scenario, the understanding of the molecular dysregulations underlying the precancerous lesions is increasing but still remains incomplete. However, in recent years, the enthusiastic rise of innovative technologies (i.e., next-generation sequencing, high-throughput microarray analysis, mass spectrometry based proteomics) and the unexpected discovery of new classes of biomarkers (i.e., miRNA, long-noncoding RNAs) prompted new strength in the exploration of the accurate and comprehensive molecular characterization of premalignant and malignant neoplastic lesions. The challenge ahead lies in the reliable identification of disease progression-specific targets to enable molecular testing in the clinical management of the secondary prevention of gastrointestinal cancers.