Did you know one in five cancers are detected too late for effective treatment? 70% of cancer deaths in India result from late-stage detection. Early detection can remarkably improve survival rates, and liquid biopsy is emerging as a game-changing tool. This non-invasive blood test can detect cancer cells early, even before symptoms occur, offering a more convenient and accurate alternative to traditional biopsies. This blog is here to help you understand how liquid biopsy works, its benefits, and its role in advancing early cancer detection and more effective treatments.
What Is Liquid Biopsy?
Liquid biopsies are a significant advancement in cancer diagnostics. This non-invasive technique involves drawing a blood sample to analyse circulating biomarkers like circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), which provide a nature of the tumour behaviour. This method allows doctors to detect malignant growth early, without traditional tissue biopsies.
Why Liquid Biopsy Is Gaining Importance
Liquid biopsies are particularly useful for cancer patients because they provide real-time information about the tumour’s behaviour. They can detect cancer cells early, even before symptoms appear, making them a powerful tool for early diagnosis and treatment.
Key Advantages of Liquid Biopsy:
- Minimally Invasive: Unlike traditional biopsies, liquid biopsies only require a blood draw, making the procedure safer with fewer complications.
- Early Detection: Liquid biopsies can identify cancer cells before they manifest symptoms, allowing for early intervention.
- Real-Time Monitoring: By analysing blood samples over time, doctors can track how well treatments work, detect recurrences, and monitor for resistance to therapies.
- Comprehensive Tumor Profile: Liquid biopsies provide a detailed overview of the tumour’s biology, capturing its changes over time. This allows for personalised treatment adjustments.
How Does Liquid Biopsy Work?
It’s essential to know how this innovative process works to fully understand its benefits. Liquid biopsy involves several key steps, from collecting the blood sample to analysing specific biomarkers that help detect and monitor cancer.
- Sample Collection: A blood sample, typically around 10-25 mL, is collected in specialised tubes containing EDTA, which helps preserve the sample for analysis.
- Isolation of Cells of Interest: Once the blood sample is collected, the next crucial step is isolating the cancer cells or tumour DNA from the rest of the blood components. This allows for precise detection and analysis of cancer-specific biomarkers.
- Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs): These are intact cancer cells shed into the bloodstream from the tumour.
- CTC Flow Cytometry Detection: The process uses the Negative selection removal of unwanted blood-related cells followed by Positive Selection, using the desired markers for the cell isolation and then following the Flow Cytometry method for cell sorting to isolate the Circulating tumour cells.
- Analysis of Biomarkers: Once CTCs are isolated, they are analysed using advanced techniques like immunocytochemistry or RNA-based methods. This helps identify the presence of specific cancer mutations.
- Data Interpretation: Specialised software and bioinformatics tools interpret the data to give a comprehensive overview of the tumour’s characteristics, enabling real-time monitoring of cancer.
Clinical Applications of Liquid Biopsy
- Monitoring Treatment Response: Liquid biopsies allow doctors to track tumour changes during treatment and adjust therapies in real time.
- Prognosis and Minimal Residual Disease: After surgery or treatment, liquid biopsy can detect minimal residual disease, helping doctors assess if cancer cells remain.
- Tracking Tumor Evolution: Liquid biopsies capture tumour changes over time, aiding in understanding how cancer evolves and potentially develops resistance to treatments.
Who Benefits from Liquid Biopsy?
- Oncologists: They use a liquid biopsy to detect mutations, monitor treatments, and adjust therapies in real time.
- Cancer Patients: Liquid biopsy offers a less invasive option for diagnosis, monitoring treatment, and detecting recurrences.
- High-Risk Patients: Individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer can undergo early screening with liquid biopsy for prompt intervention.
- Cancer Survivors: Monitoring for recurrence or minimal residual disease becomes easier and less invasive with liquid biopsy.
- Pharmaceutical Companies: They use liquid biopsy data to study drug resistance, speeding up drug development.
The Latest Research on Liquid Biopsy
Recent studies indicate that liquid biopsies are transforming cancer care. By offering a minimally invasive alternative to tissue biopsies, liquid biopsies enable real-time analysis of circulating tumour cells and tumour DNA. These biomarkers are crucial for tracking tumour mutations, therapeutic responses, and resistance—especially in immunotherapy patients.
The increasing number of FDA approvals for liquid biopsy tests and ongoing clinical trials underscores their potential to improve early cancer diagnosis, monitor recurrences, and personalise treatment strategies. These tests also minimise complications from invasive procedures, making cancer care more accessible and frequent.
Final Thoughts
Liquid biopsy is transforming how we detect, monitor, and treat cancer. This non-invasive method offers real-time insights into tumour behaviour by analysing circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and tumour DNA from a simple blood sample. We explored how liquid biopsy works, its advantages for early detection and personalised treatment, and its clinical applications in monitoring cancer progression and response to therapy. This advanced technique benefits a wide range of people, including high-risk patients, cancer survivors, and oncologists, making it a crucial tool in modern cancer care.
Early Cancer Detection Made Simple with Neeli Genetics
Have you ever wondered if you could detect cancer before symptoms even appear or monitor your treatment without undergoing invasive biopsies? With the advancement of liquid biopsy technology, it’s now possible to take a proactive approach to cancer detection and care. Neeli Genetics is here to help. As a leader in genetic testing and liquid biopsy services, we offer leading-edge cancer screening solutions that provide early detection and personalised treatment insights. Don’t wait for symptoms to take control of your health—book an appointment today.
