⚡ Quick Summary
The article highlights the remarkable advancements in liquid biopsy (LB) technology, which has become a cornerstone in oncology, particularly in the non-invasive detection and monitoring of cancer. In 2024, the volume of research on LB has peaked, showcasing its potential in precision medicine and cancer care.
🔍 Key Details
- 📊 Research Growth: Publications on LB in solid tumors have doubled since 2020.
- 🩸 Biofluid Focus: Blood is the most studied biofluid, with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) being the primary analyte.
- 🏆 Tumor Types: Gastrointestinal, lung, breast, and genitourinary cancers account for over half of the studies.
- 🔬 Technological Advances: AI has significantly improved the sensitivity and specificity of LB assays.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 📈 Liquid biopsy is crucial for non-invasive cancer detection and monitoring.
- 💡 ctDNA is the most frequently analyzed component in LB studies.
- 🌍 Early detection and monitoring of minimal residual disease are key areas of interest.
- 🔄 Serial ctDNA monitoring can predict relapse and guide treatment strategies.
- 🧬 Non-blood biofluids are gaining attention for their potential in detecting alterations in various cancers.
- 🤖 AI and machine learning are paving the way for enhanced LB research and applications.
📚 Background
Over the last decade, liquid biopsy has emerged as a transformative tool in oncology, allowing for non-invasive sampling and real-time monitoring of cancer. This method has become integral to precision medicine, enabling tailored treatment strategies based on individual patient profiles.
🗒️ Study
The study reviewed the significant increase in publications related to LB, particularly focusing on solid tumors. It highlighted the advancements made since 2020, culminating in a peak of research output in 2024, emphasizing the growing importance of this technology in cancer care.
📈 Results
The findings indicate that blood remains the most studied biofluid, with ctDNA being the most frequently analyzed analyte. The research also identified gastrointestinal, lung, breast, and genitourinary cancers as the primary focus areas, collectively representing more than half of the studies conducted.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The advancements in LB technology have profound implications for cancer diagnosis and treatment. By enabling early detection and monitoring of minimal residual disease, LB can significantly improve patient outcomes. The integration of AI and machine learning further enhances the capabilities of LB, promising a new era in cancer research and management.
🔮 Conclusion
The study underscores the transformative potential of liquid biopsy in oncology. As research continues to evolve, the integration of advanced technologies such as AI will likely lead to more precise and effective cancer care strategies. The future of LB research is bright, and its implications for patient care are immense.
💬 Your comments
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Cancer in a Drop: advances in liquid biopsy in 2024.
Abstract
Over the past decade, liquid biopsy (LB) has emerged as a key tool in oncology. Its utility in non-invasive sampling and real-time monitoring has made it a cornerstone in precision medicine. Since 2020, publications on LB in solid tumors have doubled, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing cancer care. Notably, 2024 marked a peak in scientific papers on this topic. Blood remained the most studied biofluid, with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as the most frequently analyzed analyte, followed by circulating tumor cells, extracellular vesicles, and microRNAs. Among tumor types, gastrointestinal, lung, breast, and genitourinary cancers were the most investigated, collectively accounting for more than half of the studies. Early cancer and minimal residual disease detection are critical areas of interest, emphasizing the expanding potential of fragmentomics and methylation profiling, as well as the prognostic significance of ctDNA across various cancer types. Moreover, serial ctDNA monitoring demonstrated the ability to predict relapse and guide treatment (de)-escalation strategies. In metastatic setting, ctDNA profiling plays a crucial role in capturing tumor heterogeneity, detecting resistance mechanisms, and informing treatment selection. Non-blood biofluids gained interest for their potential to enhance the detection of clinically relevant alterations in different cancer types such as central nervous system and head and neck cancers. Other than biomarkers selection, the technological advancements and artificial intelligence significantly improved the sensitivity and specificity of LB assays. This evidence in combination with the rapid advancement of machine learning and other computational approaches, are paving the way for a new chapter of LB research.
Author: [‘Borea R’, ‘Saldanha EF’, ‘Maheswaran S’, ‘Nicolo E’, ‘Singhal S’, ‘Pontolillo L’, ‘de Miguel Perez D’, ‘Venetis K’, ‘Dipasquale A’, ‘Ghazali N’, ‘Pisapia P’, ‘Franco AO’, ‘Gouda MA’, ‘Reduzzi C’]
Journal: Crit Rev Oncol Hematol
Citation: Borea R, et al. Cancer in a Drop: advances in liquid biopsy in 2024. Cancer in a Drop: advances in liquid biopsy in 2024. 2025; (unknown volume):104776. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2025.104776