Current Applications of Liquid Biopsy in Gastrointestinal Cancer Disease—From Early Cancer Detection to Individualized Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers account for a significant amount of cancer-related mortality. Tests that allow an early diagnosis could lead to an improvement in patient survival. Liquid biopsies (LBs) due to their non-invasive nature as well as low risk are the current focus of cancer research and could be a promising tool for early cancer detection. LB involves the sampling of any biological fluid (e.g., blood, urine, saliva) to enrich and analyze the tumor’s biological material. LBs can detect tumor-associated components such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These components can reflect the status of the disease and can facilitate clinical decisions. LBs offer a unique and new way to assess cancers at all stages of treatment, from cancer screenings to prognosis to management of multidisciplinary therapies. In this review, we will provide insights into the current status of the various types of LBs enabling early detection and monitoring of GI cancers and their use in in vitro diagnostics.

Combining non-invasive liquid biopsy and a methylation analysis to assess surgical risk for early esophageal cancer

“…Subsequently, the investigation expanded to include an analysis of 137 more peripheral blood samples, and the obtained results underwent validation against postoperative pathology results. This comprehensive validation process substantiated the practicality of methylation analysis in evaluating surgical risk for early ESCA ( 37 ). The exceptional performance of the LunaCAM model, which had a high AUC of 0.89, highlights its potential as a diagnostic tool ( 27 ).…”

Controversies in upper GI: liquid biopsies

“…Liquid biopsies, due to their minimal invasiveness and the recent technological advances that have improved the spectrum of information that can be obtained from single blood samples, 3 , 4 offer a promising approach to improve personalised oncology for early detection, and treatment allocation and monitoring. However, no liquid biopsy has been introduced into clinic so far, and in the podcast we discuss the most recent advances in the field and the future direction of travel.…”