Possibilities for Using Liquid Biopsies in Lung Cancer
Joshua Bauml, MD, an assistant professor at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the possibilities with using liquid biopsies in patients with lung cancer.
Joshua Bauml, MD, an assistant professor at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the possibilities with using liquid biopsies in patients with lung cancer.
By using liquid biopsies, it may be possible to assess tumor mutation burden, which is a major problem with immunotherapy in lung cancer, Bauml says. A study published inNaturealso looked at liquid biopsies in patients with lung cancer and discovered a potential approach to predicting relapse based on when circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) appears.
Bauml suggests that liquid biopsies can also be used to monitor patients and would be more efficient than typical scans. The blood test results from a liquid biopsy can provide a visual image of the genetic landscape in each patient. This could ultimately help doctors see exactly how the patient is reacting to whichever therapy they are receiving.
