The dawn of the liquid biopsy in the fight against cancer

ABSTRACT Cancer is a molecular disease associated with alterations in the genome, which, thanks to the highly improved sensitivity of mutation detection techniques, can be identified in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulating in blood, a method also called liquid biopsy. This is a non-invasive alternative...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Domínguez Vigil, Irma Guadalupe, Moreno Martínez, Ana K., Wang, Julia Y., Roehrl, Michael H. A., Barrera Saldaña, Hugo Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2017
Online Access:http://eprints.uanl.mx/17421/1/280.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT Cancer is a molecular disease associated with alterations in the genome, which, thanks to the highly improved sensitivity of mutation detection techniques, can be identified in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulating in blood, a method also called liquid biopsy. This is a non-invasive alternative to surgical biopsy and has the potential of revealing the molecular signature of tumors to aid in the individualization of treatments. In this review, we focus on cfDNA analysis, its advantages, and clinical applications employing genomic tools (NGS and dPCR) particularly in the field of oncology, and highlight its valuable contributions to early detection, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response.