Liquid biopsy gaining traction over conventional methods: Experts
Liquid biopsy, a blood-based test for diagnosing cancer, is gaining popularity over traditional tissue-based biopsies, say experts. The test analyses circulating tumour cells or cell-free DNA to diagnose or analyse tumours and cancer cells, and can also be used to monitor how well patients are responding to treatment. Several studies have identified liquid biopsies as the "future of early cancer detection".
Liquid biopsy, a blood-based test for diagnosing cancer, is slowly gaining traction over traditional, more invasive tissue-based biopsies among medical professionals, oncologists and industry experts have said.
Speaking at a talk moderated by author and columnist Swapan Seth on Thursday, Dr Nitesh Rohatgi, senior director (medical oncology) at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said that while India has become better at cancer diagnosis, there is still a long way to go and advances in the technology are being made every day.
“There are a lot of factors that make one vulnerable to cancers. While genetic predisposition plays a major role, factors such as consumption of alcohol, smoking, lack of exercising and poor diet also contribute to our vulnerability...Till a decade back, we would not have imagined that we could diagnose cancers through blood biopsies but today it is a reality and technology around cancer diagnosis and care is advancing rapidly,” said Dr Rohtagi.
Liquid biopsy is a test that enables the diagnosis or analysis of tumours and cancer cells using only a blood or fluid sample rather than a solid tissue biopsy. The test analyses DNA from whole circulating tumour cells (CTC) or cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from malignant tumour. This does not just help cancer diagnosis, but also prognosis, while assessing progress of how patients have responded to cancer therapies that they have been undergoing.
“Doctors are increasingly using liquid biopsies to know how well a patient is responding to treatments, by recommending these tests at different stages of the treatment,” Dr Rohatgi said.
Several recent studies have identified liquid biopsies as the “future of early cancer detection.”
A study published in February this year, by the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, highlighted that a liquid biopsy test could enhance the screening and triage pathways and increase the proportion of patients referred for onward investigation who have an abnormality. This increased efficiency in the diagnostic process would reduce the delay to diagnosis, as well as costs, the study said.
“A liquid biopsy triage test that can detect multiple cancers would be desirable in patients with non-specific symptoms,” it read.
Divya Mehta, vice president (commercial), Guardant Health AMEA, a leading precision oncology company which has brought comprehensive liquid biopsy solution, Guardant360, to India, said the idea is to create confidence among physicians and patients that they can rely on these test results to decide the right cancer therapy for them.
“Clinical accuracy is the key, and a lot of work is happening to make cancer diagnosis reliable,” Mehta said.