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Updated: Sep 2, 2025
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Detection and Monitoring of Tumor Associated Circulating DNA in Patient Biofluids
Published on: June 8, 2019
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Circulating tumour DNA - looking beyond the blood.
Ann Tivey1,2, Matt Church2, Dominic Rothwell1,3
1Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|August 1, 2022
Summary
Liquid biopsies offer advantages over tissue samples. Analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from non-blood sources like urine and cerebrospinal fluid provides complementary insights to blood-based ctDNA analysis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
- Genomics
Background:
- Liquid biopsy techniques are emerging as alternatives to traditional tissue biopsies.
- Plasma-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is the predominant focus of current liquid biopsy research.
- Non-blood sources of ctDNA offer potential advantages over plasma-derived ctDNA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advances in the analysis of ctDNA from non-blood sources.
- To discuss the complementary role of non-blood ctDNA to blood-based ctDNA analysis.
- To explore technical aspects and clinical translation challenges of non-blood ctDNA assays.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on ctDNA analysis from non-blood sources.
- Focus on urine, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural, and peritoneal fluid.
- Discussion of technical assay development and clinical application.
Main Results:
- Non-blood ctDNA sources provide unique and complementary information to plasma ctDNA.
- Specific non-blood sources like urine and CSF show promise for ctDNA analysis.
- Technical challenges and clinical translation hurdles exist for non-blood ctDNA assays.
Conclusions:
- Non-blood ctDNA analysis represents a significant advancement in liquid biopsy.
- These alternative sources can offer distinct advantages in specific clinical settings.
- Further research and development are needed to facilitate clinical adoption of non-blood ctDNA assays.
