What every dentist needs to know about liquid biopsies

Integral components of the examination of the oral and maxillofacial region include the early detection of benign and malignant lesions and recognition of manifestations of systemic disorders. The gold standard for establishing a diagnosis has entailed excision of tissue and submission to a laboratory for histopathologic review or, to a lesser extent, microcollection of cells via a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. A revolutionary technology in the medical and dental fields, referred to as a liquid biopsy, involves the harvesting of fragments of DNA or RNA for surveillance of an array of pathological processes from various body fluids, such as blood, plasma, and saliva. This article provides an overview of this developing diagnostic field.