Gastrointestinal cancers, including gastric, hepatic, esophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, account for one-fourth of all cancer cases and a third of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Among these, colorectal cancer (CRC) stands out with the highest incidence and mortality rates, showing recent trends of increasing incidence, especially in young people. Conversely, recent declines in esophageal and gastric cancer (GC) incidence have been reported, although carcinomas arising in the gastroesophageal junction, in younger patients, and diffuse-type tumors seem to be on the rise. In recent years, technological advancements have enabled us to elucidate the molecular landscape of various tumors, including gastrointestinal cancers, but the translation of this knowledge into clinical practice and its impact on patient survival remains limited, particularly in CRC and GC. The study of these tumors poses numerous challenges, including their association with environmental factors, geographic variability, and significant genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. In CRC, no new effective targeted therapies have emerged in recent years, and systemic therapy primarily relies on chemotherapy, with promising potential for immune checkpoint inhibition in select cases. On the other hand, the therapeutic armamentarium available for GC expanded following the identification of HER2 amplification and immunotherapy, with hopeful results observed in targeted therapy against Claudin 18.2. However, most GC cases still present at advanced stages and exhibit poor outcomes. Hence, there is an imperative need to identify new patient stratification and selection strategies for different treatments and discover novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers, to extend the impact achieved in other tumor types to colorectal and gastric cancers.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that enhance our comprehension of the molecular landscape of colorectal and gastric cancers. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
● Genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, or metabolomic characterization of CRC and GC
● Molecular-based CRC and GC screening methods
● Molecular features with prognostic or predictive significance in CRC and GC
● Novel biomarkers in CRC and GC.

Even though abstract submission is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit an abstract before submitting their manuscript. Abstracts do not have to coincide with the final abstract of the manuscripts. For authors, please review the journal's information regarding Author Guidelines and Article Processing Charges, or direct any questions to the Editorial Office: por@por-journal.com.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Molecular, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, prognosis, targeted therapy