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Review
. 2022 Aug;127(3):383-393.
doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-01777-8. Epub 2022 Mar 9.

Liquid biopsy and non-small cell lung cancer: are we looking at the tip of the iceberg?

Laura Bonanno  1 , Alessandro Dal Maso  2   3 , Alberto Pavan  4 , Elisabetta Zulato  5 , Lorenzo Calvetti  6 , Giulia Pasello  2   3 , Valentina Guarneri  2   3 , PierFranco Conte  2   3 , Stefano Indraccolo  3   5
Affiliations
Review

Liquid biopsy and non-small cell lung cancer: are we looking at the tip of the iceberg?

Laura Bonanno et al. Br J Cancer. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

The possibility to analyse the tumour genetic material shed in the blood is undoubtedly one of the main achievements of translational research in the latest years. In the modern clinical management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer, molecular characterisation plays an essential role. In parallel, immunotherapy is widely employed, but reliable predictive markers are not available yet. Liquid biopsy has the potential to face the two issues and to increase its role in advanced NSCLC in the next future. The aim of this review is to summarise the main clinical applications of liquid biopsy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, underlining both its potential and limitations from a clinically driven perspective.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Timeline of the development of liquid biopsy.
Development of liquid biopsy, from the discovery of cell-free DNA in plasma (cfDNA) to the capacity of detecting and analyzing tumour-associated genetic alterations.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Pros and cons of tissue and liquid biopsy.
A simplified summary of potential advantages and limits of liquid biopsy, when compared to standard approach (tissue biopsy).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. A summary of past, present and future applications of liquid biopsy in advanced NSCLC management.
Blue colour is used for static applications of liquid biopsy in clinical practice, orange colour is used for dynamic applications while in white squares validation tests are included.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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