Liquid biopsy analysis represents an optimal alternative testing procedure in cases where no tumor tissue is available, for example, with irresectable tumor or poor patient conditions. The main target of Liquid biopsy analysis is cell-free DNA (cfDNA) which is released into the bloodstream by necrotic and apoptotic cells. Elevated levels of cfDNA have been reported in patients with cancer and other types of diseases. The circulating cfDNA is released from both normal and tumor cells. The fraction of tumor-derived cfDNA (circulating tumor DNA/ctDNA) differs from patient to patient, depending on tumor entity, tumor stage, tumor burden, and other factors. Since only a fraction of circulating DNA is derived from the tumor, highly sensitive methods are required to detect minimal ctDNA concentrations. We at CeGaT established our CancerDetect® panel using UMI-based technology, which detects sequence variants in actionable, most prevalent hotspots. Moreover, due to non-invasive and repeatable sampling, CancerDetect® represents a great approach to monitoring. By very sensitive detection of tumor-specific biomarkers, the analysis of ctDNA can be used as a surrogate marker for treatment response during medical follow-up.
CeGaT’s CancerDetect® panel is ideally suited for monitoring and follow-up of tumor disease.