Updates on liquid biopsy: current trends and future perspectives for clinical application in solid tumors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, despite treatment advances.
• Traditional tumor genotyping from tissue samples has limitations like temporal snapshots and spatial bias due to tumor heterogeneity.
• Liquid biopsy presents a non-invasive alternative for cancer detection and monitoring using various body fluids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current information on liquid biopsy applications in specific cancers.
• To highlight the potential of liquid biopsy in reflecting tumor evolution and heterogeneity.
• To discuss the challenges and future directions for clinical adoption of liquid biopsy.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on liquid biopsy in oncology.
• Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), RNA, microvesicles, and tumor-educated platelets.
• Focus on applications in breast, colon, and lung cancer, and melanoma.

Main Results:

• Liquid biopsy can detect and monitor cancer by analyzing biomarkers in body fluids.
• Components like ctDNA and CTCs can reflect genomic information from primary and metastatic lesions.
• This method allows for sequential monitoring of disease progression and subclonal evolution.

Conclusions:

• Liquid biopsy holds significant promise for non-invasive cancer detection and monitoring.
• It offers a comprehensive view of tumor heterogeneity compared to tissue biopsies.
• Standardization and harmonization of liquid biopsy techniques across laboratories are crucial for clinical implementation.