Liquid Biopsy Analysis in Clinical Practice: Focus on Lung Cancer

• Main Authors: Pasquale Pisapia, Francesco Pepe, Antonino Iaccarino, Roberta Sgariglia, Mariantonia Nacchio, Gianluca Russo, Gianluca Gragnano, Elalah Mosaieby, Giancarlo Troncone, Umberto Malapelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Journal of Molecular Pathology
• Subjects: predictive molecular pathology; predictive biomarker; EGFR; molecular oncology; ctDNA
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5261/2/3/21

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite the emergence of highly effective targeted therapies, up to 30% of advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients do not undergo tissue molecular testing because of scarce tissue availability. Liquid biopsy, on the other hand, offers these patients a valuable opportunity to receive the best treatment options in a timely manner. Indeed, besides being much faster and less invasive than conventional tissue-based analysis, it can also yield specific information about the genetic make-up and evolution of patients’ tumors. However, several issues, including lack of standardized protocols for sample collection, processing, and interpretation, still need to be addressed before liquid biopsy can be fully incorporated into routine oncology practice. Here, we reviewed the most important challenges hindering the implementation of liquid biopsy in oncology practice, as well as the great advantages of this approach for the treatment of NSCLC patients.