title: Liquid biopsies for liquid tumors: emerging potential of circulating free nucleic acid evaluation for the management of hematologic malignancies.
abstract: Circulating free nucleic acids; cell free DNA and circulating micro-RNA, are found in the plasma of patients with hematologic and solid malignancies at levels higher than that of healthy individuals. In patients with hematologic malignancy cell free DNA reflects the underlying tumor mutational profile, whilst micro-RNAs reflect genetic interference mechanisms within a tumor and potentially the surrounding microenvironment and immune effector cells. These circulating nucleic acids offer a potentially simple, non-invasive, repeatable analysis that can aid in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic decisions in cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Myeloma Research Group, Australian Center for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia; Malignant Haematology & Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hocking
authors.affiliation: Myeloma Research Group, Australian Center for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Sridurga
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mithraprabhu
authors.affiliation: Malignant Haematology & Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalff
authors.affiliation: Myeloma Research Group, Australian Center for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia; Malignant Haematology & Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spencer
keywords: Circulating nucleic acids; DNA; biopsy; hematologic malignancy; miRNA