Liquid Biopsy in the NHS: Where Are We Now & Where Do We Need to Be
- The lung cancer “liquid first” circulating tumour DNA pilot showed the feasibility of a national service: which is cost-effective and improves outcomes
- This led to a commissioned service in this setting and in breast cancer patients becoming resistant to treatment
- Future use cases include ctDNA as a marker of minimal residual disease to both escalate and de-escalate treatment following surgery or curative radiotherapy
- Barriers remain, including setting up “business as usual” services and educating the workforce in interpreting and using these new technologies