Notwithstanding the fast-paced innovation in cancer screening and therapeutics, most cancer patients ultimately die because of their disease. The molecular profile of tumor is routinely evaluated by surgical or bioptic samples, however, tumor biopsies accomplish the sampling of only a part of the tumor and may only capture a fraction of its heterogeneity, consequently not being totally informative about the levels of genetic variability of a patient’s cancer. Moreover, it is unlikely for a patient to undergo sequential biopsies of primary and metastatic lesions along tumor progression.
During the last years, to answer the need of a more accessible approach for tumor genetic analysis, liquid biopsy has emerged as an innovative, non-invasive and efficient opportunity of detecting and monitoring cancer in several body fluids instead of tumor tissue. Furthermore, thanks to this approach, we are able to take more blood samples over time, informing about the type of molecular changes going on in a tumor. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), RNA (mRNA and microRNA), microvesicles, including exosomes and tumor educated platelets represent a source of genomic information in cancer patients reflecting all subclones present in primary and metastatic lesions allowing sequential monitoring of disease evolution.
This Research Topic aims to update the currently available information concerning liquid biopsy, the key features and their applications in oncology highlighting the technological challenges and the hurdles we need to overcome to finally see the next era of cancer care.
This Research Topic will update about the key features of liquid biopsy and their applications in oncology. In particular, we especially welcome original research articles, reviews (either systematic or discursive), and short communications of significant preliminary results that highlight the role of Liquid Biopsy in the research of novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers for cancer as well as in the monitoring of the course of the disease.
Notwithstanding the fast-paced innovation in cancer screening and therapeutics, most cancer patients ultimately die because of their disease. The molecular profile of tumor is routinely evaluated by surgical or bioptic samples, however, tumor biopsies accomplish the sampling of only a part of the tumor and may only capture a fraction of its heterogeneity, consequently not being totally informative about the levels of genetic variability of a patient’s cancer. Moreover, it is unlikely for a patient to undergo sequential biopsies of primary and metastatic lesions along tumor progression.
During the last years, to answer the need of a more accessible approach for tumor genetic analysis, liquid biopsy has emerged as an innovative, non-invasive and efficient opportunity of detecting and monitoring cancer in several body fluids instead of tumor tissue. Furthermore, thanks to this approach, we are able to take more blood samples over time, informing about the type of molecular changes going on in a tumor. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), RNA (mRNA and microRNA), microvesicles, including exosomes and tumor educated platelets represent a source of genomic information in cancer patients reflecting all subclones present in primary and metastatic lesions allowing sequential monitoring of disease evolution.
This Research Topic aims to update the currently available information concerning liquid biopsy, the key features and their applications in oncology highlighting the technological challenges and the hurdles we need to overcome to finally see the next era of cancer care.
This Research Topic will update about the key features of liquid biopsy and their applications in oncology. In particular, we especially welcome original research articles, reviews (either systematic or discursive), and short communications of significant preliminary results that highlight the role of Liquid Biopsy in the research of novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers for cancer as well as in the monitoring of the course of the disease.