Limitations and Challenges of Liquid Biopsy Cancer Diagnostic Technology: The Emergence of Genetic Information Loss
Recently, 'liquid biopsy' has been gaining attention as a technology for early cancer detection. Liquid biopsy is a diagnostic method that analyzes 'cfDNA' (circulating tumor DNA), which is the genetic material of cancer cells floating in the blood. It has the advantage of reducing the burden on patients since it does not require the direct removal of tissue.
However, recent studies have shown that there are blind spots in this liquid biopsy technology. It has been confirmed that as cfDNA present in the blood naturally degrades over time, important genetic information required for cancer diagnosis can also disappear.
Experts point out that once cfDNA degrades, it becomes difficult to accurately identify the genetic characteristics of cancer. In particular, since the rate of genetic information loss can vary depending on the type and stage of cancer, new technical improvements are needed to increase diagnostic accuracy.
Currently, the medical community is conducting research on technologies to process blood immediately after collection or to reconnect and analyze degraded DNA fragments to minimize this information loss. These efforts to enhance the reliability of cancer diagnosis are expected to serve as an important foundation for the future development of precision medicine.
While liquid biopsy is an innovative method for early cancer detection, overcoming its technical limitations remains a significant challenge. We look forward to the development of more accurate testing methods so that many patients can receive safe and effective diagnoses.