Liquid biopsy for early detection of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early cancer detection plays an important role in improving treatment success and patient prognosis. In the past decade, liquid biopsy became an important tool for cancer diagnosis, as well as for treatment selection and response monitoring. Liquid biopsy is a broad term that defines a non-invasive test done on a sample of blood or other body fluid to look for cancer cells or other analytes that can include DNA, RNA, or other molecules released by tumor cells. Liquid biopsies mainly include circulating tumor DNA, circulating RNA, microRNA, proteins, circulating tumor cells, exosomes, and tumor-educated platelets. This review summarizes the progress and clinical application potential of liquid biopsy for early detection of lung cancer.