6533b7dcfe1ef96bd127291f

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Patients: The Hand Lens to Investigate Tumor Evolution

subject

description

In recent years the treatment of cancer patients has profoundly changed due to a better comprehension of the biological processes underlying tumor development and progression. Several tumors are defined as “oncogene addicted” and this discovery has led the way to the development of target therapies that are able to specifically kill cancer cells sparing normal cells from toxicity. Nowadays treatment decision is strictly dependent on the molecular characterization of the tumor; thus the path of cancer patients’ survival is tissue dependent but this may have several limitations. Indeed a single tissue biopsy represents only a snapshot limited in time and space but we are learning that tumor evolves and thus the initial molecular portrait may dramatically change over time. Therefore it is necessary to develop non-invasive or minimally invasive tools that can allow a strict patients’ follow-up at different time-points and liquid biopsy encompasses this characteristic. Hence the increased interest in this research field prompted us to write a volume on this issue with the aim to shed light on the role of liquid biopsy in the clinical management of different tumor types.