Cell-Free DNA Analysis within the Challenges of Thyroid Cancer Management

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine malignancy with an increasing incidence trend during the past forty years and a concomitant rise in cancer-related mortality. The circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis is a patient's friendly and repeatable procedure allowing to obtain surrogate information about the genetics and epigenetics of the tumor. The aim of the present review was to address the suitability of cfDNA testing in different forms of thyroid cancer, and the potential clinical applications, as referred to the clinical weaknesses. Despite being limited by the absence of standardization and by reproducibility and validity issues, cfDNA assessment has great potential for the improvement of thyroid cancer management. cfDNA may support the pre-surgical definition of thyroid nodules by complementing invasive thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology. In addition, it may empower risk stratification and could be used as a biomarker for monitoring the post-surgical disease status, both during active surveillance and in the case of anti-tumor treatment.

Keywords: cell-free DNA; liquid biopsy; thyroid cancer; thyroid diseases; thyroid nodules.

Figure 1

The diagnostic-therapeutic settings of thyroid cancer with the applicable cfDNA analyses. Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art (smart.servier.com (accessed on 27 October 2022). Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (accessed on 27 October 2022).