Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/884976
A MOLECUL A R DI AGNOS TIC tool, liquid biopsies enable physicia ns to sea rch for anomalies within a malignant tumor's genome. The goal of such analysis is to identify genomic alterations within a tumor that physicians can target with specifi c therapies. LIQUID BIOPSY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Liquid biopsies differ from tissue biopsies in that they are not used to diagnose cancer. Rather, they provide information about the cell-free tumor DNA circulating in a patient's blood serum. By looking for specifi c genomic alterations, or molecular targets, within that tumor DNA, physicians can better determine which treatments hold the most promise for treating patients' individual tumors. The premise behind liquid cancer biopsies is not new — physicians have traditionally derived similar information about the tumor genome by performing next-generation sequencing on tissue biopsy samples. At present, tissue biopsy remains the gold standard for cancer diagnosis and eva luation. Because of the WHEN TESTS COLLIDE: AS LIQUID BIOPSIES INCH CLOSER TO BECOMING A STANDARD OF CARE, QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR EFFICACY, USE AND ROLE IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ABOUND. DISCORDANT RESEARCH FINDINGS BET WEEN LIQUID AND TISSUE BIOPSIES ONLY ADD TO THE CONFUSION. tumor DNA, physicians can better determine which treatments hold the most promise for treating patients' individual tumors. Perspectives on Liquid vs. Tissue Biopsies From Laboratory to Clinical Practice LIQUID BIOP SIE S A RE NOT limited to oncology. They also have applications in prenatal care, most notably in prenatal screening for Down syndrome and other disorders related to chromosomal abnormalities. The fi rst liquid biopsy test with applications in prenatal care started to emerge eight years ago, according to Diane Robertson, Director of Health Technology Assessment Information Services at ECRI Institute, which ranked liquid biopsies No. 1 on its annual Top 10 Hospital C-Suite Watch List. During that time, the prenatal liquid biopsy test to detect Down syndrome, among other anomalies, moved from a cutting-edge technology to widespread adoption and has become standard of care. "If you're a woman who becomes pregnant and you walk into your OB/GYN's offi ce, it's highly likely that [your physician] will recommend you have this liquid biopsy test," Robertson says. "We think liquid biopsies will eventually also become standard of care for many indications in the oncology space." WHEN TESTS WHEN TESTS COLLIDE: COLLIDE: COLLIDE: BY TIFFANY PARNELL 0 4O N C O L O G Y