Liquid Biopsy, or the examination of tumours using biomarkers found in bodily fluids like the blood, has drawn a lot of attention in the last ten years. Large strides have been made in the creation of technologies that can identify and define tumours in such a minimally invasive and repeatable manner, and it may have significant clinical consequences. However, the method is not yet a common tool in the clinical oncologist's toolbox. The cancer research community has been perplexed by the profusion of work, which involves a wide range of tests based on various ideas. Additionally, there is technical diversity in the pre-analytical and analytical stages for the two most developed Liquid Biopsy indicators, circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA).
There are ongoing initiatives, such as the BloodPAC project in the US and the European Liquid Biopsy Society. These consortiums, which integrate the knowledge of academia and business, offer hope for the creation of reliable and repeatable liquid-biopsy assays. The goal is not to choose and perfect a single liquid biopsy strategy. In fact, a cancer's characteristics can be revealed by the interaction of several circulating biomarkers.
A Liquid Biopsy may also help to prevent issues like bleeding, infections, and pain that might follow an intrusive tissue biopsy. For a long time, scientists have been aware of the clinical potential of liquid biopsies. More interventional clinical trials are now required, as well as the creation of an algorithm to integrate the relevant circulating biomarkers, to advance them into mainstream use. Policymakers and business leaders need to get involved in this. Then and only then will these sophisticated and potent methods live up to their promise of becoming quick, trustworthy, and non-intrusive decision-making instruments.
