"Liquid biopsy" is expected to be used for cancer screening

  A study released at the "2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting" in Chicago said that large-scale genome analysis showed that the use of blood tests to screen for cancer and monitor the development and evolution of cancer can achieve the same effect as traditional tissue biopsy. This technology helps doctors better establish diagnosis and treatment plans, and is expected to become a reliable alternative to routine biopsy.

  The concept of cancer blood testing has been put forward for quite some time. It is also called "liquid biopsy", which is to detect and analyze free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments in the blood for early screening, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. Development and evolution. This technique is low-cost, easy to operate, and can avoid the pain caused by traditional invasive tissue biopsy.

  In this largest cancer-related genome analysis study to date, researchers analyzed the blood samples of 15,000 cancer patients, and the samples involved 50 cancer types. The blood test method used by the researchers is called "Guard 360", developed by the American "Guard Health" company focusing on cancer diagnostic technology, and can detect nearly 70 genetic variants.

  Philip Mack, a professor at the University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, who reported this research at the annual meeting, said that the research shows that when tumor tissues that can be used for biopsy cannot be safely obtained or traditional biopsy alone cannot provide enough information to determine cancer When genotyping, analyzing the free tumor DNA in the patient's blood can be a "very informative and minimally invasive alternative".

  Compared with traditional biopsy, cancer blood test has some advantages. Since changes in tumor DNA are often earlier than changes in tumor tissue growth, blood tests can help doctors adjust treatment plans in a timely manner. In addition, the tissue used for biopsy is taken from a certain part of the tumor, and the amount of genetic information that can be provided is limited. In contrast, blood test results can provide more comprehensive tumor DNA information.

  Pal, an oncologist at the City of Hope International Medical Center in the United States who was not involved in the study, commented that there is another reliable cancer screening option besides tissue biopsy, which is of great significance for doctors to select appropriate treatment options for specific patients.