The Role of Fatty Acid Metabolism, the Related Potential Biomarkers, and Targeted Therapeutic Strategies in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Gastrointestinal cancer has emerged as a significant global health concern due to its high incidence and mortality, limited effectiveness of early detection, suboptimal treatment outcomes, and poor prognosis. Metabolic reprogramming is a prominent feature of cancer, and fatty acid metabolism assumes a pivotal role in bridging glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. Fatty acids play important roles in cellular structural composition, energy supply, signal transduction, and other lipid-related processes. Changes in the levels of fatty acid metabolite may indicate the malignant transformation of gastrointestinal cells, which have an impact on the prognosis of patients and can be used as a marker to monitor the efficacy of anticancer therapy. Therefore, targeting key enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism, either as monotherapy or in combination with other agents, is a promising strategy for anticancer treatment. This article reviews the potential mechanisms of fatty acid metabolism disorders in the occurrence and development of gastrointestinal tumors, and summarizes the related potential biomarkers and anticancer strategies.