Progress in research of biomarkers for colorectal cancer screening and early detection

Disease burden caused by colorectal cancer is growing, which has become a major concern in public health. Population-based screening has been proved effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer. To date, more evidences regarding the changes in genetics, epigenetics and microbiome of colorectal cancer have been recognized. Emerging technologies for gene sequencing and molecular detection shed lights on the development of informative colorectal cancer related biomarkers. In this article, we summarize the latest findings in research of biomarkers for colorectal cancer screening and early detection to provide references for the development of novel effective and non-invasive colorectal cancer screening tests in the future.