Liquid Biopsy in Lung Cancer - Biomarkers for the Management of Recurrence and Metastasis

Sep 24, 2026

Liquid biopsies have emerged as a promising tool for detecting lung cancer metastases and local or regional recurrence. These tests analyze a patient’s blood, urine, or other body fluids to identify biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells and tumor-derived DNA/RNA shed into the bloodstream. Evidence indicates high accuracy and sensitivity, including detection before lesions appear on imaging. The approach is minimally invasive versus tissue biopsy and supports early intervention and personalized treatment. The article reviews current and novel liquid biopsy strategies and their clinical applications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Liquid biopsy overview

Biomarker detection

CTCs and ctDNA/RNA

Review Liquid Biopsy in Lung Cancer: Biomarkers for the Management of Recurrence and Metastasis Vanessa G. P. Souza 1,2, *,†, Aisling Forder 1, Liam J. Brockley 1,†, Michelle E. Pewarchuk 1, Nikita Telkar 1,3, Rachel Paes de Araójo 2, Jessica Trejo 1, Katya Benard 1, Ana Laura Seneda 2, Iael W. Minutentag 2, Melis Erkan 4,5,6, Greg L. Stewart 1, Erica N. Hasimoto 7, Cathie Garnis 1,8, Wan L. Lam 1, Victor D. Martinez 4,5,6, * and Patricia P. Reis 2,7 Citation: Souza, V.G.P.; Forder, A.; Brockley, L.J.; Pewarchuk, M.E.; Telkar, N.; de Araújo, R.P.; Trejo, J.; Benard, K.; Seneda, A.L.; Minutentag, I.W.; et al. Liquid Biopsy in Lung Cancer: Biomarkers for the Management of Recurrence and Metastasis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 8894. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms24108894 Academic Editors: Cristina Peña and Vanesa Garc½a-Barber¡n Received: 1 May 2023 Revised: 11 May 2023 Accepted: 16 May 2023 Published: 17 May 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; [aforder@bccrc.ca](aforder@bccrc.ca) (A.F.); [lbrockley@bccrc.ca](lbrockley@bccrc.ca) (L.J.B.); [mpewarchuk@bccrc.ca](mpewarchuk@bccrc.ca) (M.E.P.); [ntelkar@bccrc.ca](ntelkar@bccrc.ca) (N.T.); [jtrejo@bccrc.ca](jtrejo@bccrc.ca) (J.T.); [kbenard@bccrc.ca](kbenard@bccrc.ca) (K.B.); [gstewart@bccrc.ca](gstewart@bccrc.ca) (G.L.S.); [cgarnis@bccrc.ca](cgarnis@bccrc.ca) (C.G.); [wanlam@bccrc.ca](wanlam@bccrc.ca) (W.L.L.) 2 Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Experimental Research Unit, School of Medicine, S¢o Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP 18618-687, Brazil; [rachel.paes@unesp.br](rachel.paes@unesp.br) (R.P.d.A.); [ana.seneda@unesp.br](ana.seneda@unesp.br) (A.L.S.); [iael.weissberg@unesp.br](iael.weissberg@unesp.br) (I.W.M.); [patricia.reis@unesp.br](patricia.reis@unesp.br) (P.P.R.) 3 British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada 4 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada; [merkan@dal.ca](merkan@dal.ca) 5 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada 6 Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada 7 Department of Surgery and Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, S¢o Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP 18618-687, Brazil; [erica.hasimoto@unesp.br](erica.hasimoto@unesp.br) 8 Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada * [Correspondence: vg.souza@unesp.br](Correspondence: vg.souza@unesp.br) (V.G.P.S.); [victor.martinez@iwk.nshealth.ca](victor.martinez@iwk.nshealth.ca) (V.D.M.)† These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Liquid biopsies have emerged as a promising tool for the detection of metastases as well as local and regional recurrence in lung cancer. Liquid biopsy tests involve analyzing a patient's blood, urine, or other body ﬂuids for the detection of biomarkers, including circulating tumor cells or tumor-derived DNA/RNA that have been shed into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that liquid biopsies can detect lung cancer metastases with high accuracy and sensitivity, even before they are visible on imaging scans. Such tests are valuable for early intervention and personalized treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes. Liquid biopsies are also minimally invasive compared to traditional tissue biopsies, which require the removal of a sample of the tumor for further analysis. This makes liquid biopsies a more convenient and less risky o

FAQs

What samples and biomarkers are used in liquid biopsy for lung cancer?

Liquid biopsy tests analyze blood, urine, or other body fluids and detect biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells and tumor-derived DNA/RNA shed into the bloodstream.

How do liquid biopsies help manage metastasis and recurrence?

They enable early detection of metastases and local or regional recurrence and support early intervention and personalized treatment to improve outcomes.

Why is liquid biopsy considered less invasive than traditional tissue biopsy?

Liquid biopsy requires no tumor tissue removal, unlike traditional tissue biopsy, making it more convenient and less risky for patients who may not tolerate invasive procedures.

Sep 24, 2026

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