Use of Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Diagnosis and Monitoring

Liquid biopsy is a noninvasive method used for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease states, including cancer. Instead of physically taking a biopsy of the affected tissue, cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA, a subset of cfDNA present only in tumors), or cancer cells in suspension (also known as circulating tumor cells, CTCs) are collected from blood or other fluids.

This page reviews the use of Droplet Digital™ PCR (ddPCR™) for liquid biopsies in the areas of cancer diagnosis, monitoring, evaluation of treatment modalities, and testing for reoccurrence after remission. Diabetes and organ transplantation monitoring are discussed to demonstrate other emerging uses for liquid biopsy.