Introduction Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating monogenic disorder that presents as a multisystem illness and affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States alone. SCD management largely focuses on primary prevention, symptomatic treatment and targeting of hemoglobin polymerization and red blood cell sickling. Areas covered This review will discuss the progress of SCD over the last few decades, highlighting some of the clinical (mainly cerebrovascular) and psychosocial challenges of SCD in the United States. In addition, focus will also be made on the evolving science and management of this inherited disease. Expert Commentary Until recently hydroxyurea (HU) has been the only FDA approved therapy for SCD. However, advancing understanding of SCD pathophysiology has led to multiple clinical trials targeting SCD related thrombo-inflammation, abnormal endothelial biology, increased oxidant stress and sickle cell mutation. Yet, despite advancing understanding, available therapies are limited. SCD also imposes great psychosocial challenges for the individual and the affected community, which has previously been under-recognized. This has created a pressing need for complementary adjuvant therapies with repurposed and novel drugs, in addition to the establishment of comprehensive clinics focusing on both the medical treatment and the psychosocial issues associated with SCD.

The incidence of lung cancer has significantly increased over the last century, largely due to smoking, and remains the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This is often due to lung cancer first presenting at late stages and a lack of curative therapeutic options at these later stages. Delayed diagnoses, inadequate tumor sampling, and lung cancer misdiagnoses are also not uncommon due to the limitations of the tissue biopsy. Our better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the systemic actions of tumors, combined with the recent advent of the liquid biopsy, may allow molecular diagnostics to be done on circulating tumor markers, particularly circulating tumor DNA. Multiple liquid biopsy molecular methods are presently being examined to determine their efficacy as surrogates to the tumor tissue biopsy. This review will focus on new liquid biopsy technologies and how they may assist in lung cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment.