Abstract

Circulating Biomarkers in the Management of Solid Tumors

Minetta Liu, Associate Professor and Research Chair, Mayo Clinic

The real-time, serial detection of tumor specific molecular alterations will facilitate improved clinical outcomes through individualized treatment approaches. The advent of technologies that allow for the isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell free nucleic acids (cfNA) in the peripheral blood has led to great interest in the “liquid biopsy”. These assays offer a less invasive, potentially more cost effective tool to assess prognosis and response to treatment, and they may facilitate the early diagnosis of recurrence or primary malignancy itself. The challenges of validating these molecular biomarkers and the need to provide solutions to promote rapid translation into clinical practice will be discussed.