Cell-free DNA as a diagnostic marker for cancer: current insights.
The increasing knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of cancer and the rapid development of new molecular techniques are promoting the study of early molecular alterations involved in cancer development in body fluids. Specific genetic and epigenetic alterations could be found in plasma, serum, and urine cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and could potentially be used as diagnostic biomarkers for several types of cancers. This review focuses on the role of cfDNA in diagnosis: a PubMed search was performed by selecting papers according to journal impact factor and robustness of statistical analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of "liquid biopsy", including cfDNA analysis, will be one of the critical challenges to better understand the early mechanisms of cancer development.
Biosciences Laboratory.
Samanta
S
Salvi
Biosciences Laboratory.
Giorgia
G
Gurioli
Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy.
Ugo
U
De Giorgi
Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy.
Vincenza
V
Conteduca
Biosciences Laboratory.
Gianluca
G
Tedaldi
Biosciences Laboratory.
Daniele
D
Calistri
Biosciences Laboratory.
Valentina
V
Casadio
cancer; cell-free DNA; diagnosis; liquid biopsy