Although the idea of a biopsy is never pleasant, the idea of a liquid (blood sample) biopsy has a little excitement to it, as it sounds simpler and less painful. In fact, it is….and this approach to diagnostics will grow larger in the coming years, supplanting the need for invasive testing that is currently being done.
A recent article in The Lancet shows the benefits of such a liquid biopsy in monitoring patients with Lymphoma for recurrence of disease. Using blood sampling to test for ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA….genetic material from the cancerous cells), the researchers were able to identify patients at risk for recurrence well before other techniques suggested that disease was active. Beyond this, they were also able to predict those people who had less concerns and could feel confident in their response to treatment.
Researchers tell us that monitoring with blood testing for ctDNA is likely to become part of the routine regimen of cancer evaluation and follow-up in the future.
Read more >>>>>HERE<<<<<