With advances in target therapy, molecular analysis of tumors is routinely required for treatment decisions in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Liquid biopsy refers to the sampling and analysis of circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) in various body fluids, primarily blood. Because the technique is minimally invasive, liquid biopsies are the future in cancer management. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ctDNA tests have been performed in routine clinical practice in advanced NSCLC patients to guide tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. In the near future, liquid biopsy will be a crucial prognostic, predictive, and diagnostic method in NSCLC. Here we present the current status and future perspectives of liquid biopsy in NSCLC.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Unlocking the future of cancer diagnosis – promises and challenges of ctDNA-based liquid biopsies in non-small cell lung cancer Chiara Reina, Berina Šabanović, Chiara Lazzari, Vanesa Gregorc, Christopher Heeschen Translational Research.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Tailored point-of-care biosensors for liquid biopsy in the field of oncology Sima Singh, Pritam Saha Podder, Matt Russo, Charles Henry, Stefano Cinti Lab on a Chip.2023; 23(1): 44. CrossRef
Emerging role of non-invasive and liquid biopsy biomarkers in pancreatic cancer Akash Bararia, Prosenjeet Chakraborty, Paromita Roy, Bitan Kumar Chattopadhay, Amlan Das, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Nilabja Sikdar World Journal of Gastroenterology.2023; 29(15): 2241. CrossRef
Liquid biopsy in the management of advanced lung cancer: Implementation and practical aspects Gabriela Fernandes, Ana Rodrigues, Cláudia Matos, Fernando Barata, Luís Cirnes, Lurdes Ferreira, José Albino Lopes, Margarida Felizardo, Paula Fidalgo, Ulisses Brito, Bárbara Parente Cancer Treatment and Research Communications.2023; 36: 100725. CrossRef
Tweezer PCR: A Highly Specific Method for Accurate Identification of Low-Abundance Mutations Shanglin Li, Yin Gu, Zhi Geng, Kaiyi Li, Yawei Hu, Qiang Liu, Rongxin Fu, Peng Liu Analytical Chemistry.2023; 95(48): 17679. CrossRef
Mesonephric-like Adenocarcinoma of the Ovary: Clinicopathological and Molecular Characteristics Hyun Hee Koh, Eunhyang Park, Hyun-Soo Kim Diagnostics.2022; 12(2): 326. CrossRef
Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma of the Uterus: Clinicopathological and Molecular Characteristics Yurimi Lee, Kiyong Na, Ha Young Woo, Hyun-Soo Kim Diagnostics.2022; 12(5): 1102. CrossRef
Exosomal MicroRNA Analyses in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines Sora Kim, Gwang Ha Kim, Su Jin Park, Chae Hwa Kwon, Hoseok I, Moon Won Lee, Bong Eun Lee Journal of Clinical Medicine.2022; 11(15): 4426. CrossRef
Molecular biomarker testing for non–small cell lung cancer: consensus statement of the Korean Cardiopulmonary Pathology Study Group Sunhee Chang, Hyo Sup Shim, Tae Jung Kim, Yoon-La Choi, Wan Seop Kim, Dong Hoon Shin, Lucia Kim, Heae Surng Park, Geon Kook Lee, Chang Hun Lee Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine.2021; 55(3): 181. CrossRef
Update on molecular pathology and role of liquid biopsy in nonsmall cell lung cancer Pamela Abdayem, David Planchard European Respiratory Review.2021; 30(161): 200294. CrossRef
Dynamics of Specific cfDNA Fragments in the Plasma of Full Marathon Participants Takehito Sugasawa, Shin-ichiro Fujita, Tomoaki Kuji, Noriyo Ishibashi, Kenshirou Tamai, Yasushi Kawakami, Kazuhiro Takekoshi Genes.2021; 12(5): 676. CrossRef
Future Perspectives in Detecting EGFR and ALK Gene Alterations in Liquid Biopsies of Patients with NSCLC Daniela Ferreira, Juliana Miranda, Paula Martins-Lopes, Filomena Adega, Raquel Chaves International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2021; 22(8): 3815. CrossRef
Real-World Analysis of the EGFR Mutation Test in Tissue and Plasma Samples from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Hyunwoo Lee, Joungho Han, Yoon-La Choi Diagnostics.2021; 11(9): 1695. CrossRef
Objective Quantitation of EGFR Protein Levels using Quantitative Dot Blot Method for the Prognosis of Gastric Cancer Patients Lei Xin, Fangrong Tang, Bo Song, Maozhou Yang, Jiandi Zhang Journal of Gastric Cancer.2021; 21(4): 335. CrossRef
The Role of the Liquid Biopsy in Decision-Making for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer D. Akhoundova, J. Mosquera Martinez, L. E. Musmann, C. Britschgi, C. Rütsche, M. Rechsteiner, E. Nadal, M. R. Garcia Campelo, A. Curioni-Fontecedro Journal of Clinical Medicine.2020; 9(11): 3674. CrossRef
Expanding opportunities in precision oncology T Raja Cancer Research, Statistics, and Treatment.2020; 3(4): 863. CrossRef
Jinyoung Yoo, Kyungji Lee, Ji Han Jung, Byoung Yong Shim, Sung Hwan Kim, Deog Gon Cho, Myeong Im Ahn, Chi Hong Kim, Kyu Do Cho, Hoon Kyo Kim, Seok Jin Kang
BACKGROUND Gefitinib is an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has shown dramatic effectiveness in a subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We evaluated the response rate to gefitinib, and the significance of the EGFR and HER2/neu status as predictive markers of the tumor response. METHODS The EGFR and HER2/neu protein expressions, as determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and gene amplification via chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), were analyzed in biopsy specimens from 46 patients with advanced NSCLC. After their failure with the first-line treatment, all the patients had received gefitinib treatment. RESULTS A partial response (PR) was achieved in 8 patients (17.4%). An EGFR overexpression was detected in 80.4% (37/46) of the tumors, and this was observed exclusively in patients with a PR (100% vs 75.3%, respectively; p=0.076).
EGFR gene amplification was present in 47.8% of the tumors (22/46). HER2/neu was overexpressed in 13%(6/46) and it was amplified in 17% (7/46). The overall survival was prolonged in the female patients (p=0.007), and in patients with T1 and T2 disease (p=0.039), adenocarcinoma (p=0.010), a PR (p=0.022), an EGFR IHC+ status (p=0.033), an EGFR IHC+/CISH+ status (p=0.010), or an EGFR+/HER2/neu+ status (p=0.030). On multivariate analysis, gender, T disease and EGFR IHC/CISH remained the significant predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS Gefitinib showed a modest effect for the patients with chemotherapy-refractory advanced NSCLC. A combination of EGFR IHC and CISH might be important for identifying those patients who are most likely to benefit from gefitinib therapy.