Liquid Biopsies, Novel Approaches and Future Directions

Simple Summary The gold standard for detecting cancer and profiling tumors is tissue biopsies. Despite this, tissue biopsies have been associated with many limitations leading to the desire for less invasive and more accurate solutions. One very attractive candidate for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer in patients is provided by liquid biopsies. The number of analytes circulating in the blood that may be used for liquid biopsy testing is enormous making it a promising technique for the clinical management of oncological patients. The goal of this study is to discuss in detail the clinical relevance of liquid biopsies, as well as the opportunities they might offer for cancer prognosis, diagnosis and monitoring. The isolation process and clinical use of the biological components of the liquid biopsy will also be explained, with specific focus placed on novel procedures that can be developed as well as the approach's future possibilities. Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Early diagnosis and prognosis are vital to improve patients' outcomes. The gold standard of tumor characterization leading to tumor diagnosis and prognosis is tissue biopsy. Amongst the constraints of tissue biopsy collection is the sampling frequency and the incomplete representation of the entire tumor bulk. Liquid biopsy approaches, including the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating miRNAs, and tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), as well as certain protein signatures that are released in the circulation from primary tumors and their metastatic sites, present a promising and more potent candidate for patient diagnosis and follow up monitoring. The minimally invasive nature of liquid biopsies, allowing frequent collection, can be used in the monitoring of therapy response in real time, allowing the development of novel approaches in the therapeutic management of cancer patients. In this review we will describe recent advances in the field of liquid biopsy markers focusing on their advantages and disadvantages.

Automated summary

Liquid biopsies have great potential in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, providing less invasive and more accurate solutions. They analyze circulating molecules in the blood and offer promising techniques for managing cancer patients. This study aims to discuss the clinical relevance of liquid biopsies, as well as the opportunities they bring for cancer prognosis, diagnosis, and monitoring. It also explains the isolation process and clinical use of the biological components of liquid biopsies, with a focus on novel procedures and future possibilities.