Advancements in precision oncology: Investigating the function of circulating DNA in the advancement of liquid biopsy...

While the traditional method is a biopsy of the potential tumor tissue, more non-invasive methods have been developed such as the liquid biopsy. It is an emerging, powerful cancer detection method that is used for molecular profiling of tumours apart from tissue-specific biopsy. It involves the analysis of free, circulating tumor genetic material and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that are found in the fluids of the patient. This analysis helps to detect the abnormal genetic anomalies associated with the various forms of cancer as well as identify mutations corresponding to specific tumours. It is an upcoming method of diagnostics applied in the field of precision oncology that helps overcome the limitations of the traditional biopsy. It can interrogate and look through difficult-to-biopsy tumours and also aid in early cancer detection. Sequencing techniques help in building databases with different information on mutations in the genetic as well as epigenetic levels. In this review, we understand the role of liquid biopsy as not only a diagnostic tool but its role in therapeutics and its potential in the future.