Diagnostic potential of circulating nucleic acids for oncology

Approximately a decade ago, the PCR-based detection of extracellular, tumor-derived circulating nucleic acids in the plasma and serum of cancer patients was introduced as a noninvasive tool for cancer detection. Although the test criteria, sensitivity and specificity, compare favorably with conventional diagnostic measures, until now the methodical ponderousness of circulating nucleic acids in plasma and serum analysis prevented it from becoming a clinical routine application. However, with rapid technical improvement towards automated high-throughput platforms, it is expected that the next 5 years will see circulating nucleic acids in plasma and serum analysis integrated into the initial diagnosis and follow-up monitoring of cancer patients. The hope is that the use of circulating nucleic acids in plasma and serum as a molecular tumor marker and potential profiling tool will finally translate into a longer survival and better quality of life for cancer patients.