Micromarkers 2.0: an update on the role of microRNAs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis

The identification of reliable diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers is one of the most pressing goals in oncological research. MicroRNAs have proven to be very promising cancer biomarkers because they are resistant to degradation in many tissue types (including FFPE specimens and body fluids), easily measured and, most importantly, their amount correlates with the presence of the tumor or with clinically relevant cancer features. In addition, our knowledge of microRNA genetic alterations in familial and sporadic cancer has recently improved. This review presents an update on cancer diagnostic and prognostic microRNAs, discusses novel tools for prognostic microRNAs identification and evaluates the possible translation of these discoveries to the clinic.