Liquid biopsy-detecting molecular targets in cancer management

Abstract

Liquid biopsies are newer diagnostic tests conducted on blood samples to detect biomarkers shed by tumors, such as cancer cells or portion of tumor DNA. Liquid biopsies are not to replace surgical biopsies but are complementary in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The circulating tumor DNA and intact circulating tumor cells are the two main components that are targeted during a liquid biopsy. Information from the liquid biopsy is used to determine the best-individualized cancer therapy to track how a patient is responding to treatment, or to discover whether there is recurrence of cancer. This review summarizes the main techniques and applications of liquid biopsy in cancer.