Abstract

Liquid Biopsies in the Management of Solid Tumors

Minetta Liu, Associate Professor and Research Chair, Mayo Clinic

Identification of tumor specific molecular alterations increasingly plays a part in drug selection and prognosis in cancer. The advent of technologies that allow for the detection of specific mutations in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from the peripheral blood has increased 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.