What is a susceptibility or risk biomarker?

A susceptibility biomarker or risk biomarker is a biomarker (aka tumour marker) associated with an increased, or in some cases, decreased chance of developing a disease or medical condition in an individual who, from a clinical standpoint, does not yet have that disease or medical condition. Screening the general population is one of the most effective ways of discovering malignancies at an early stage. However, due to the low prevalence of pancreatic cancer in the general community, the stratification of people who require additional testing using invasive and costly modalities is critical. As a result, minimally invasive methods utilising biomarkers and imaging techniques that can help diagnose pancreatic cancer early are critical. (Sources: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov )

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