Liquid biopsies: A new era in blood-based cancer detection methods

In the largest effort to date to standardize performance metrics of the cancer diagnostic across products, researchers say the products can likely detect advanced tumors reliably, but early-stage malignancies would remain a challenge.

The liquid biopsy, which detects cell-free tumor DNA, spotted undiagnosed cancers in some women, but had a greater number of false positives and false negatives.

Machine-learning algorithms tuned to detecting cancer DNA in the blood could pave the way for personalized cancer care.

The test can pick up several types of cancer, including pancreatic and ovarian, years before symptoms appear.

The new diagnostic works by identifying cancer-associated proteins and DNA in patient blood.

The genomics pioneer shares the sessions she most looks forward to at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.

How close are liquid biopsies to replacing current diagnostics?

The agency fires off a letter to Pathway Genomics, telling the company that its new cancer detection test could harm the public and is not validated by science.

Some doctors advise shoppers to be skeptical of a newly marketed cancer diagnostic.

Hot topics in cancer research from the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research