All about liquid biopsy: How a simple blood test can spot cancer early
Early cancer detection is one of the only ways that the complex and stubborn disease can be treated soon. Once diagnosed, the treatment can involve a series of procedures that can be harrowing for both the patient and the family.However, one of the ways to trim the treatment process is by using liquid biopsy, a blood test that tells you which type of treatment is best suited for the cancer.advertisementWHAT IS A LIQUID BIOPSY?
A liquid biopsy is a test that looks for signs of cancer in blood or other body fluids, like urine. Unlike traditional biopsies that require cutting or inserting a needle to remove a piece of the tumour, a liquid biopsy only needs a small blood sample.According to Dr Mandeep Singh, chief oncologist of Art of Healing Cancer centre, who frequently uses this test, "Liquid biopsy analyses cancer-related material present in body fluids, most commonly blood, to gather critical information about the disease."HOW DOES IT WORK?When cancer is present in the body, it often releases tiny bits of genetic material into the blood. These can be:Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) – fragments of DNA from the tumourCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) – whole cells that break off from the tumourCell-free DNA (cfDNA) – includes DNA from both normal and cancer cellsadvertisementBy analysing these markers, doctors can detect cancer at an early stage, choose the most suitable treatment, and even track how well a treatment is working over time.In fact, liquid biopsy can sometimes pick up signs of cancer returning even before a scan can.WHAT ELSE CAN IT DETECT?The liquid biopsy test can also find genetic mutations like BRCA1 or TP53, which can increase a person's risk of developing certain cancers. So in some cases, it can also be used to predict cancer risk even before the disease starts.Interestingly, researchers are now working on new technology that looks at how the immune system is reacting, rather than just trying to find cancer cells in the blood. Since cancer is made up of the body's own cells gone wrong, tracking changes in white blood cells (WBCs) could be another powerful way to detect cancer early.ONE KNOWN LIMITATIONDespite its many advantages, liquid biopsy does have a drawback. It's not very useful for detecting brain tumours, because of the blood-brain barrier—a protective layer that prevents many substances (including cancer cells from the brain) from entering the bloodstream.As research grows and technology improves, liquid biopsy could soon become a regular part of how we screen, diagnose, and monitor cancer.
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