Liquid biopsy in oncology: current status and limitations in clinical practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62305/biosana.v6i3.1099Keywords:
Liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA, circulating free DNA, cancer biomarkers, circulating tumor cellsAbstract
Liquid biopsy is a complementary tool in oncology due to its ability to detect molecular alterations and dynamically monitor tumor evolution by obtaining biological samples without invasive procedures. Its usefulness is related to biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and circular RNA (circRNA). The objective of this study was to analyze the current state of liquid biopsy in oncology and its main limitations in clinical practice. To this end, a literature review of recent publications on biomarkers, detection techniques, and clinical applications in different types of cancer was conducted. The findings showed greater application of ctDNA and cfDNA in lung, breast, colorectal, liver, endometrial, and thyroid cancers, primarily for genotyping, therapeutic monitoring, and detection of recurrence and acquired resistance. Furthermore, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), exosomes, extracellular vesicles, and circular RNA (circRNA) have shown potential in early diagnosis and tumor monitoring. However, diagnostic performance varied depending on the biomarker, cancer type, and methodology used. In conclusion, liquid biopsy offers clinical value in cancer follow-up, but it does not currently replace tissue biopsy due to limitations in sensitivity, standardization, and clinical validation.
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