Pancreatic cancer: Are "liquid biopsies" ready for prime-time?
Pancreatic cancer is a disease that carries a poor prognosis. Accurate tissue diagnosis is required. Tumours contain a high content of stromal tissue and therefore biopsies may be inconclusive. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) have been investigated as a potential "liquid biopsy" in several malignancies and have proven to be of prognostic value in breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. They have been detected in patients with localised and metastatic pancreatic cancer with sensitivities ranging from 38%-100% using a variety of platforms. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has also been detected in pancreas cancer with a sensitivity ranging from 26%-100% in studies across different platforms and using different genetic markers. However, there is no clear consensus on which platform is the most effective for detection, nor which genetic markers are the most useful to use. Potential roles of liquid biopsies include diagnosis, screening, guiding therapies and prognosis. The presence of CTCs or ctDNA has been shown to be of prognostic value both at diagnosis and after treatment in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, more prospective studies are required before this promising technology is ready for adoption into routine clinical practice.
Alexandra R Lewis, Juan W Valle, Mairead G McNamara, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, M20 4BX Manchester, United Kingdom.
Alexandra R
AR
Lewis
Alexandra R Lewis, Juan W Valle, Mairead G McNamara, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, M20 4BX Manchester, United Kingdom.
Juan W
JW
Valle
Alexandra R Lewis, Juan W Valle, Mairead G McNamara, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, M20 4BX Manchester, United Kingdom.
Mairead G
MG
McNamara
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm
Cancer; Cells; Circulating; Circulating tumour DNA; Liquid biopsy; Pancreatic; Tumour