The pitfalls and promise of liquid biopsies for diagnosing and treating solid tumors in children: a review.

ABSTRACT: Cell-free DNA profiling using patient blood is emerging as a non-invasive complementary technique for cancer genomic characterization. Since these liquid biopsies will soon be integrated into clinical trial protocols for pediatric cancer treatment, clinicians should be informed about potential applications and advantages but also weaknesses and potential pitfalls. Small retrospective studies comparing genetic alterations detected in liquid biopsies with tumor biopsies for pediatric solid tumor types are encouraging. Molecular detection of tumor markers in cell-free DNA could be used for earlier therapy response monitoring and residual disease detection as well as enabling detection of pathognomonic and therapeutically relevant genomic alterations.Conclusion: Existing analyses of liquid bio

SUBMITTER: Van Paemel R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6971142 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature