ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The treatment strategies for T1 oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with or without lymph node metastasis (LNM) are different. Given the advantages of the

minimally invasive, sensitive and real-time detection, liquid biopsy has become an important cancer diagnostic and prognostic tool. METHODS MiRNA array and small-RNA sequencing were

performed. Then, 222 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumour samples and 229 pretreatment serum samples from T1 ESCC patients were used to verify and evaluate the results. RESULTS We

demonstrated that serum miR-20b-5p could predict LNM in T1 ESCC patients. The AUC for serum miR-20b-5p was higher (0.827) than those for lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (0.751, _P_ = 0.2128),

ESCC treatment strategy after biopsy and/or after endoscopic resection based on serum miR-20b-5p level was constructed. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that serum miR-20b-5p is a potential

biomarker for predicting LNM and can be helpful for precise clinical decision-making strategies and improve treatment outcomes for T1 ESCC patients. Access through your institution Buy or

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A LIQUID BIOPSY SIGNATURE FOR PREDICTING EARLY RECURRENCE IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC CANCER Article 11 January 2023 COMPARATIVE MICRORNA SIGNATURES BASED ON LIQUID BIOPSY TO IDENTIFY LYMPH

NODE METASTASIS IN T1 COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING UPFRONT SURGERY OR ENDOSCOPIC RESECTION Article Open access 20 February 2025 POTENTIAL MIRNA BIOMARKERS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND

PROGNOSIS OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER DETECTED BY A NOVEL ABSOLUTE QUANTITATIVE RT-QPCR METHOD Article Open access 18 November 2020 DATA AVAILABILITY The datasets used and/or analysed during the

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National Key Research and Development Programme of China (no. 2016YFA0500303 to Yongmei Song), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81872398 to Yongmei Song and 81402463 to

Liyan Xue), and the Non-profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019PT310027 to Yongmei Song). AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * These authors

contributed equally: Liyan Xue, Zitong Zhao, Minjie Wang. AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer

Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Liyan Xue, Xuemin Xue, Linxiu Liu, Bingzhi Wang, Zhuo Li, Zhaoyang Yang & Ning Lu * State

Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer and Microbiome, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical

Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Zitong Zhao, Liying Ma, Qimin Zhan & Yongmei Song * Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Cancer Center/National Clinical

Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Minjie Wang * Department of Medical Record, National Cancer

Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Hua Lin * National Central Cancer

Registry, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Shaoming

Wang * Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China Qimin Zhan Authors * Liyan Xue View author publications You can also search for this author

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can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Zhuo Li View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Zhaoyang Yang View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Ning Lu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Qimin Zhan View

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CONTRIBUTIONS YS, QZ and NL designed this study. LX, ZZ, MW, LM, HL, SW, XX, LL, BW, ZL and ZY collected clinical samples and clinical information. ZZ and LX performed the experiments and

conducted data analysis. LX and ZZ wrote the manuscript. CORRESPONDING AUTHORS Correspondence to Ning Lu, Qimin Zhan or Yongmei Song. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors

declare no competing interests. ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE This study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was conducted after obtaining approval

from the Independent Ethics Committee at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical

College (No. NCC2598). Informed consent was obtained from all patients. All methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION Not

applicable. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PUBLISHER’S NOTE Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES AJ-CHECKLIST RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or

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permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Xue, L., Zhao, Z., Wang, M. _et al._ A liquid biopsy signature predicts lymph node metastases in T1 oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma:

implications for precision treatment strategy. _Br J Cancer_ 127, 2052–2059 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01997-y Download citation * Received: 02 May 2022 * Revised: 16

September 2022 * Accepted: 22 September 2022 * Published: 07 October 2022 * Issue Date: 23 November 2022 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01997-y SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share

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