Aug 2026· Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy· Vol 7· 0 citations· 64 references
Medicine
TL;DR
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the key analytes employed in liquid biopsy, including circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, and protein biomarkers with particular emphasis on their translational relevance in breast cancer.
Abstract
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and despite considerable advances in therapeutic strategies, the absence of reliable, minimally invasive diagnostic tools continues to limit early detection and real-time disease monitoring. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a transformative paradigm in oncology, offering the capacity to integrate tumor biology through the analysis of tumor-derived materials that circulate in peripheral blood and other biofluids. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the key analytes employed in liquid biopsy, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and protein biomarkers with particular emphasis on their translational relevance in breast cancer. Drawing on landmark clinical trials and foundational molecular studies, we highlight how these biomarkers capture spatial and temporal tumor heterogeneity in ways that conventional tissue biopsy cannot. Finally, we address the technical, clinical, and ethical challenges that still impede widespread adoption of liquid biopsy, and we outline a forward-looking research agenda oriented toward multi-omics integration and point-of-care diagnostics. Taken together, this review underscores the potential of liquid biopsy to complement existing diagnostic standards and improve how we screen for, monitor, and treat breast cancer across disease stages.
Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, underscoring the need for accurate, minimally invasive biomarkers to support precision oncology. Conventional tissue biopsy remains the standard for molecular characterization but is limited by its invasiveness, inability to capture spatial and temporal tumor heterogeneity, and challenges in serial monitoring. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), a tumor-derived fraction of cell-free DNA, has emerged as a promising liquid biopsy biomarker capable of providing real-time genomic information throughout disease progression. This narrative review examines recent advances in ctDNA biology, analytical technologies, clinical applications, current limitations, and future directions in breast cancer management. A structured literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar identified relevant English-language publications from 2015 to 2026. Current evidence indicates that highly sensitive platforms, including digital PCR, BEAMing, and next-generation sequencing, can detect clinically actionable alterations in genes such as PIK3CA, ESR1, TP53, ERBB2, AKT1, and BRCA1/2. ctDNA has demonstrated particular utility in identifying minimal residual disease, monitoring therapeutic response, detecting emerging resistance mechanisms, and guiding targeted treatment selection in advanced breast cancer. However, applications in early cancer detection, population screening, and artificial intelligence-assisted clinical decision-making remain investigational. Widespread clinical implementation is constrained by low ctDNA abundance in early-stage disease, analytical variability, limited assay standardization, and cost considerations. Continued technological innovation, prospective multicenter validation, standardized testing protocols, and evidence-based clinical guidelines are essential to fully integrate ctDNA into routine precision breast cancer care.
E. I. Obeagu, C. Okafor· Breast Cancer: Basic and Cli...· 0 citations
Overall, liquid biopsy represents a transformative strategy that complements conventional tissue biopsy and supports more personalized, dynamic, and evidence-based management of solid tumors.
Ricardo Fernando Rincón Veloz, Ana Milena Murgas Acevedo, Gerardo Amaya Villagran et al.· International science journa...· 0 citations
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of global cancer mortality, underscoring the urgent need for effective early detection. Current screening methods, primarily colonoscopy, are limited by invasiveness and low population adherence, while traditional serological biomarkers lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity for reliable early-stage diagnosis. This review examines recent advances in liquid biopsy components as promising noninvasive biomarkers for CRC screening and diagnosis. Key circulating analytes are discussed, including circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, tumor-educated platelets, exosomes, and circulating RNAs. These markers collectively provide a systemic, real-time molecular profile of tumors, offering valuable information on tumor presence, stage, and biological characteristics beyond that achieved by traditional single-marker approaches. Integrating multiple biomarkers into diagnostic panels shows promise for significantly improving detection accuracy compared to conventional biomarkers like carcinoembryonic antigen. However, translating this potential into clinical practice faces substantial challenges, including the standardization of techniques, validation in large prospective cohorts, and demonstration of improved patient outcomes through interventional studies. Addressing these challenges is essential for realizing the transformative potential of liquid biopsies in personalized CRC management. By enabling earlier, less invasive, and more-accurate diagnosis, liquid biopsy represents a paradigm shift in screening that could ultimately reduce CRC mortality through timely intervention.
Xiaoman Bai, Sa-Chu-La Bao, Xu-Qian Zhang et al.· World Journal of Gastrointes...· 0 citations
Glioblastoma remains highly aggressive, with limited treatment response and poor prognosis. Tissue biopsy (TB) is invasive and fail to capture tumor heterogeneity or temporal dynamics. Liquid biopsy (LB) provides a noninvasive alternative for real-time monitoring via circulating biomarkers, including cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), urine, and saliva. This review advances beyond prior biomarker catalogs by delivering a quantitative technology scorecard comparing cfDNA-, CTC-, and EV-based platforms in terms of sensitivity, clinical actionability, cost, and scalability. We introduce a multimodal decision matrix and an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven fusion pipeline integrating fragmentomics, EV proteomics, and CTC transcriptomics to enhance minimal residual disease detection and guide precision neuro-oncology.
Olawumi Giwa, Yonit Leykind, I. Altman et al.· Trends in Biotechnology· 0 citations
Background
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults and is characterized by extensive
molecular and spatial heterogeneity, diffuse infiltration, and frequent recurrence. Current diagnosis and disease monitoring
rely primarily on tissue pathology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, tissue sampling is invasive and may
not fully capture the heterogeneous and evolving molecular landscape of the tumor, while MRI may have difficulty
distinguishing recurrent disease from treatment-related changes. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive
approach for detecting tumor-derived material in biological fluids and may provide opportunities for repeated molecular
assessment throughout the disease course.
Objective
This narrative review summarizes the current evidence regarding liquid biopsy in glioblastoma, with emphasis on
circulating tumor DNA, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells, microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, and other circulating
biomarkers. It further examines their potential applications in molecular characterization, diagnosis, prognostic assessment,
treatment-response monitoring, and detection of recurrence.
Methods
A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
Literature addressing glioblastoma, liquid biopsy, circulating tumor DNA, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells,
microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, exosomes, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, treatment monitoring, and recurrence was
identified and critically synthesized. Original research studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and relevant
contemporary reviews were considered. Particular attention was given to evidence regarding blood- and cerebrospinal-fluidderived biomarkers and their potential clinical applications.
Results
Current evidence indicates that liquid biopsy may provide minimally invasive molecular and longitudinal information
in patients with glioblastoma. Circulating tumor DNA and cell-free DNA have been investigated for detection of tumorassociated genetic and epigenetic alterations, while circulating tumor cells, microRNAs, and extracellular vesicles represent
additional potential sources of diagnostic and prognostic information. Cerebrospinal fluid may provide greater detectability
of tumor-derived material than peripheral blood in selected patients, whereas blood-based approaches offer advantages for
repeated and less invasive sampling. Emerging studies also suggest potential applications in monitoring treatment response,
tumor evolution, and recurrence. Nevertheless, clinical implementation remains constrained by low circulating tumor
fractions, the blood–brain barrier, tumor heterogeneity, methodological variability, and limited prospective validation.
Conclusion
Liquid biopsy represents a promising complementary approach to conventional tissue pathology and neuroimaging in
glioblastoma. Its greatest future value may lie in longitudinal molecular monitoring and integration with MRI, radiomics,
artificial intelligence, and other molecular profiling approaches. Standardization of analytical methods and prospective
multicenter validation will be necessary before liquid biopsy can be routinely incorporated into clinical practice.
Usha Topalkatti, Jhansi Mani Mahadeva· International Journal of Inn...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
