Early detection screening: myth or reality?

Abstract

Historically, surgical biopsy has been considered the gold standard for cancer diagnosis. Nonetheless, surgical biopsies are not always feasible, and the procedures are often expensive, sometimes leading to clinical complications for the patient. Moreover, a patient’s tumor genomic profile dynamically evolves, especially under oncological treatments, delineating the hurdle of tumor heterogeneity. In this fascinating scenario, liquid biopsy has emerged as a novel and intriguing diagnostic tool, providing a significant step forward in the field due to lower cost, accessibility, and repeatability. In this chapter, we aimed to summarize all the applications of liquid biopsy in the early setting of oncological disease