Glycobiology of Cancer

Glycosylation changes are characteristic of malignant transformation. These changes have been associated with apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, tumor growth, adhesion, invasion, and metastasis. Glycosylation changes are considered a hallmark of cancer and are involved in several processes associated with malignant transformation, such as angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, tumor growth, and proliferation. Some tumor-associated glycans have been used for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, and others are used in therapy. Glycosylation changes have been reported in premalignant lesions; thus, some glycan structures could be used in the early diagnosis of cancer. Additionally, the identification of glycosylation changes in glycoproteins has contributed to increasing the specificity of biomarkers. Regulation of glycosylation could be involved in the promotion or inhibition of cancer, which highlights the importance of studying glycans in cancer therapy. The aim of this chapter is to contribute to the knowledge of cancer glycobiology and its importance in tumor progression in cancer diagnosis and therapy.