Flexible Sensing Systems for Cancer Diagnostics

Practical screening tools and ultrasensitive technologies can play pivotal roles in precision cancer profiling for early diagnosis at asymptomatic stages, as well as for monitoring prognosis, risk stratification, and disease recurrence. While a number of sensors and diagnostic tools continue to be developed for ultrasensitive detection and off-site analysis, there has been an increasing interest in point-of-care devices, particularly those that are mechanically flexible and potentially wearable by the patient. In this chapter, we present a critical insight into the integrated engineering approaches involved in such flexible systems. We consider various aspects in the design of flexible devices, the biomarkers of interest, and the different transduction mechanisms by which mechanically flexible devices can be used in the area of cancer monitoring. We then discuss the different types of flexible biosensing platforms that have been developed to date, including wearables on skin and on clothing, and exhaled breath and implantable sensors. Finally, we discuss the design challenges and future outlook in the development of flexible platforms that can provide comprehensive cancer biomarker panels for patients and clinicians.