Abstract:

Serum tumor markers have shown certain value in the early diagnosis, efficacy evaluation,and prognosis assessment of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, their effectiveness in predicting the long-term postoperative recurrence of patients still needs to be explored in depth. Postoperative recurrence of CRC is a complex multi-factorial process, and its mechanisms mainly involve the occult metastasis and proliferation of cancer cells, changes in the tumor microenvironment, and immune escape. Risk factors include the patient's age, family history, degree of pathological differentiation, surgical approach, effectiveness of adjuvant therapy,and lifestyle habits, etc. Although commonly used serum tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) have a significant correlation with the pathological characteristics of CRC and play a certain role in predicting postoperative recurrence, they face challenges such as surgical stress response and limitations in sensitivity and specificity. Future development directions include the in-depth integration of multimodal data such as serum markers, imaging, and genomics, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to construct and optimize prediction models, as well as strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation to provide patients with more comprehensive and effective prognosis assessment,diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

Key words: Colorectal Neoplasms, Biomarkers, Tumor, Recurrence, Multifactor Process, Predictive Model