A liquid biopsy comprises a set of blood-based analyses that can be used to assess tumor-specific genetic alterations. As a liquid biopsy is less burdensome than a tissue biopsy, and in many advanced cancer patients multiple tissue sampling is clinically not feasible, blood-based analyses are becoming increasingly important for molecular profiling. Blood samples are easily obtainable and can be taken repeatedly even in short time intervals. In addition, genetic heterogeneity of the progressing tumor may lead to an incomplete picture of the tumor genome if only single tissue biopsies are obtained. Furthermore, blood-based analytic approaches may allow real-time monitoring of the total tumor burden and the detection of upcoming mutations that arise during clinical treatment, through serial blood sampling and analysis. Blood samples can be collected during routine care at the time of diagnosis, before start of treatment, and at subsequent time points when the tumor is progressing during therapy.
In this webinar, Prof. Martin Filipits will discuss the role of NSCLC as a model disease for liquid biopsy, and how droplet digital PCR is one of the most suitable and sensitive methods for detecting mutations in small amounts of material.
Martin Filipits, PhD
Associate Professor; Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna
Dr. Martin Filipits is a group leader at the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna. His main research aim is to characterize molecular markers that help to predict therapy response in cancer patients. These markers should allow a more rational use of existing therapies, help to identify new targets in the therapy of malignant diseases or to increase the knowledge for better therapeutic concepts and ultimately improve outcome of cancer patients. To achieve this goal, he analyses tumor tissue of cancer patients for the expression of various proteins or genetic changes.