Liquid biopsy in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of cases. Despite advancements in therapeutics, outcomes remain poor due to late-stage diagnoses and the molecular complexity of the disease. Liquid biopsy, a minimally invasive diagnostic approach, has emerged as a potentially transformative tool in lung cancer. The detection of tumour-derived biomarkers, such as circulating-tumour DNA, circulating tumour cells and exosomes, can be analysed for molecular profiling, early detection and monitoring of disease progression. There have been significant advancements of liquid biopsy technologies, such as next-generation sequencing and droplet digital PCR, that identify actionable mutations, detect resistance mechanisms and improve therapeutic outcomes. While there are still challenges like detecting early-stage disease and the risk of false positives, the combination of multi-omics data and artificial intelligence has the potential for more personalised and precise cancer treatments. Liquid biopsy represents a paradigm shift in the early detection and personalised treatment of lung cancer, offering significant potential to improve patient outcomes.