Current Uses and Pitfalls of Liquid Biopsy in NSCLC

Nadia Ghazali; Natasha B. Leighl

doi:10.58931/cot.2024.1221

Authors

Nadia Ghazali, BMed Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada
Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cot.2024.1221

Abstract

Liquid biopsy has emerged as an important tool in the diagnosis and management of lung and other cancers. Various analytes and analytical methods have been studied, including genomic testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and non-NGS approaches, including those examining methylation or DNA fragment size. Liquid biopsy, especially from plasma or blood, has several advantages over percutaneous or endoscopic tissue biopsy. It is less invasive, can be used serially for monitoring, and better reflects tumoural heterogeneity across metastatic sites, as opposed to a single area of the biopsied tumour. Herein, we highlight the current uses of liquid biopsy using circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis in routine clinical practice and potential pitfalls.

Author Biographies

Nadia Ghazali, BMed, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

Dr. Nadia Ghazali is an Australian-trained physician working as a Clinical Fellow at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her medical journey began in Newcastle, Australia, where she completed her medical training. Now based in Toronto, Canada, she focuses on lung cancer with research interest in precision medicine, liquid biopsy, and global oncology.

Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

Dr. Natasha Leighl leads the Thoracic Medical Oncology Group at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and is Professor in the Department of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She holds the OSI Pharmaceuticals Foundation Chair in Cancer New Drug Development through the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. She has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, has held (as principal or co-investigator) over $800 million in peer-reviewed grant funding. She has mentored many trainees that have gone on to leadership roles in oncology around the world, and received the American Society of Clinical Oncology Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019. Dr Leighl’s main interest is in developing new treatments in lung cancer and improving lung cancer diagnostics including liquid biopsy. She is involved in clinical studies of novel agents for the treatment of thoracic cancers, has led several international and cooperative group studies in lung cancer and has served as a member of the Lung Disease Site Group Executive of the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Group. She was Co-Chair of the CCTG Committee on Economic Analysis, Congress Co-President of the 2018 World Conference in Lung Cancer, and serves on multiple committees including the ASCO Thoracic Guidelines Advisory Group, is co-section editor of The Oncologist and Current Oncology, an editorial board member of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, British Journal of Cancer, a member of the IASLC Quality and Value Committee, on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Americas Health Foundation. Previously she served as Web Editor of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada Medical Oncology Examination Board, and is Past President of Lung Cancer Canada.

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Current Uses and Pitfalls of Liquid Biopsy in NSCLC

Authors

DOI:

Abstract

Author Biographies

Nadia Ghazali, BMed, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

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