Biomarkers and Osteosarcoma and IGF

Bone and soft-tissue sarcomas tend to present in young adults. A wide variety of serological markers have been associated with osteosarcoma. Tumor markers involved in angiogenesis, cell adhesion, apoptosis, and the cell cycle have been shown to play an important role in osteosarcoma growth, differentiation, and metastasis. However, there are no universal and specific serum tumor markers for early diagnosis of osteosarcoma and primary screening in risk groups. There is strong empirical evidence that the IGF signal transduction pathway may be important in osteosarcoma. Several patents of IGF and molecular biomarkers/panels in osteosarcoma have been reported. The tissue/serum biomarker panels using high-throughput technology molecular signatures will have a role in early detection of the disease and noninvasive testing.