The Potential Role of Changes in the Glucose and Lipid Metabolic Pathways in Gastrointestinal Cancer Progression: Strategy in Cancer Therapy.

Background: Changes in cell metabolism are a well-known feature of some cancers, and this may be involved in the etiology of tumor formation and progression, as well as tumor heterogeneity. These changes may affect fatty acid metabolism and glycolysis and are required to provide the increase in energy necessary for the high rate of proliferation of cancer cells. Gastrointestinal cancers remain a difficult-to-treat cancer, particularly as they are usually diagnosed at a late stage of disease and are associated with poor outcomes.

Summary: Recently, the changes in the metabolic pathways, including the expression of the rate-limiting enzymes involved, have been considered to be a potential target for therapy for gastrointestinal tumors.

Key message: A combination of routine chemotherapy drugs with metabolic inhibitors may improve the effectiveness of treatment.