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Published on: September 9, 2020
Towards liquid biopsy-based analysis of antitumour immunity
Klaus Pantel1,2, Doryan Masmoudi3,4, Catherine Alix-Panabières5,6,7
1Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. pantel@uke.de.
Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Liquid biopsies offer a non-invasive way to monitor systemic antitumor immunity over time, complementing traditional tissue analysis for cancer patients. Analyzing blood biomarkers and immune cells provides insights into treatment response and resistance.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Tissue biopsy is the standard for cancer diagnosis and therapy selection but is invasive.
- Repeated biopsies are difficult for monitoring dynamic immune responses.
- Peripheral blood analysis offers a less invasive alternative for longitudinal monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review insights into systemic antitumor immune responses.
- To highlight the utility of peripheral blood analysis in oncology.
- To discuss how blood biomarkers complement tissue analysis.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on liquid biopsy and immune monitoring.
- Analysis of circulating tumor-derived biomarkers and immune cells.
- Comparison of spatial tissue analysis with systemic blood analysis.
Main Results:
- Liquid biopsies enable monitoring of systemic immune dynamics and treatment responses.
- Blood analysis can detect emerging resistance to cancer therapies.
- Peripheral blood analysis complements, but does not replace, tissue biopsy.
Conclusions:
- Blood-based biomarker analysis provides valuable insights into systemic antitumor immunity.
- Liquid biopsies offer a feasible approach for dynamic monitoring of cancer patients.
- Integrating liquid and tissue biopsy data can enhance cancer management.
