Advancing the applications of liquid biopsies in oncology

Liquid biopsies are increasingly important tools for precision oncology. Although their ability to detect the minute amounts of cancer biomarkers present in biofluids is improving, limitations remain regarding accurate detection of certain pathologies, analytical validation, application range and broad clinical utility. Emerging methods harness multi-omic data from a range of circulating analytes that can be released from various sources via distinct biological processes, thereby providing complementary and more sensitive information. Modulating the cellular release of these analytes and their half-lives in blood can be exploited to inform on cancer detection, treatment selection, response and/or toxicity. Simultaneously, efforts to miniaturize liquid biopsies to capitalize on their minimally invasive nature will accelerate turnaround time and enable continuous and ideally remote monitoring of circulating analytes. Together, these advances towards next-generation liquid biopsies will substantially improve patient experience.