Liquid Biopsies

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em>, David Polsky, MD, PhD, discussed the findings from this analysis in patients with&nbsp;<em>BRAF</em>-mutant, unresectable, metastatic melanoma. He highlighted the next steps necessary for validating these findings and potentially using ctDNA to help inform treatment decisions for patients with metastatic melanoma.

To move the treatment of colon cancer forward, investigators are identifying better biomarkers for response to adjuvant chemotherapy and as early indicators of chemotherapy success, said Jeanne Tie, MD, MBChB, to an audience at the ASCO: Medical Crossfire&reg;: How to Use Liquid Biopsies in Oncology Care hosted by Physicians&rsquo; Education Resource&reg;, LLC.

A new study shows comparability between liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy in both diagnostics and monitoring of non&ndash;small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, based on the results, liquid biopsies may be preferable to help oncologists make swifter decisions that help manage the disease.<br /> &nbsp;

During an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, lead study author Dhruvajyoti Roy, PhD, the director of technology at Laboratory for Advanced Medicine, Inc., shared information about the study, commented on other liquid biopsy research presented by peers at ASCO and provided insight as to what these data mean for the future of cell-free DNA methylation.

By testing circulating tumor DNA at critical time points throughout neoadjuvant chemotherapy and cystectomy,&nbsp;clinicians may be able to better predict which patients with advanced bladder cancer would likely benefit from additional systemic therapies, according to results of a study published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>.

For detecting genetic drivers and molecular aberrations in patients with metastatic non&ndash;small cell lung cancer, performing biopsies with comprehensive cell-free DNA, or liquid biopsies, may be a viable substitute for tissue-based biopsies.&nbsp;

Pashtoon M. Kasi, MD, MBBS, MS, discussed&nbsp;the current role of liquid biopsies in patients with CRC, GI, and other types of cancers. He also highlights the advantages to making treatment decisions based on results from liquid biopsies.

Geoffrey R. Oxnard, MD,&nbsp;discusses testing error underlying liquid biopsy discordance. He also highlights steps clinicians can take to optimize liquid biopsies and where he sees this evolving in the treatment landscape for patients with cancer.

A new single-center report published in&nbsp;<em>JCO Precision Oncology&nbsp;</em>offers a proof of concept for using circulating tumor DNA to guide clinical decisions in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.&nbsp;

Significantly higher response rates were seen in patients with&nbsp;<em>ALK</em>-positive non&ndash;small cell lung cancer who had been treated with at least 1 prior ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor &nbsp;before receiving lorlatinib and who harbored an&nbsp;<em>ALK&nbsp;</em>resistance mutation compared with those who did not have an&nbsp;<em>ALK&nbsp;</em>mutation.

Kristen Ciombor, MD, MSCI,&nbsp;discusses the promise of liquid biopsies in the rapidly evolving mCRC paradigm and the potential implications of the COLOMATE trial.

Aditya Bardia, MBBS, MPH,&nbsp;discusses the potential role of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA testing in patients with breast cancer.

In addition to confirming the utility of liquid biopsies to reliably detect&nbsp;guideline-recommended biomarkers&nbsp;in patients with stage IV NSCLC, findings from the NILE study also showed liquid biopsies have a quicker turnaround time compared with standard tissue-based assays, said senior study author Vassiliki A. Papadimitrakopoulou, MD.

Naiyer A. Rizvi, MD, explained, in a presentation at the European Society of Medical Oncology 2019 International Congress on Targeted Anticancer Therapies, that plasma assays for determining TMB are becoming more diagnostically relevant.

Guardant360&mdash;a 73-gene next-generation sequencing panel&mdash;detected all of the&nbsp;guideline-recommended biomarkers in patients newly diagnosed with&nbsp;metastatic non&ndash;small cell lung cancer at a similar rate, but in a faster turnaround time than&nbsp;tissue genotyping, according to data from the NILE study.

Massimo Cristofanilli, MD,&nbsp;discusses the clinical utility of liquid biopsies&mdash;specifically focusing on CTCs and cfDNA&mdash;and highlights ongoing research in the space.

In a presentation during the 2nd Annual Precision Medicine Through Plasma: Using Liquid Biopsies in Contemporary Oncology Care symposium, Bob T. Li, MD, MPH, explained ctDNA&rsquo;s growing importance in lung cancer, given the disease&rsquo;s challenging prognosis.

Pashtoon M. Kasi, MD, MBBS, MS,&nbsp;provides an overview of the potential for liquid biopsies in CRC and advances being made in the treatment landscape. &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;