Liquid Biopsy to Detect Minimal Residual Disease: Methodology and Impact.

ABSTRACT: One reason why some patients experience recurrent disease after a curative-intent treatment might be the persistence of residual tumor cells, called minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD cannot be identified by standard radiological exams or clinical evaluation. Tumor-specific alterations found in the blood indirectly diagnose the presence of MRD. Liquid biopsies thus have the potential to detect MRD, allowing, among other things, the detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTC), or tumor-specific microRNA. Although liquid biopsy is increasingly studied, several technical issues still limit its clinical applicability: low sensitivity, poor standardization or reproducibility, and lack of randomized trials demonstrating its clinical benefit. Being able to detect MR

SUBMITTER: Honore N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8582541 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature