Considering the challenges associated with traditional biopsies, recent oncology research has shifted its focus toward analyzing various biological fluids rather than whole tissues for tumor-derived components a technique referred to as liquid biopsy (LB). Additionally, in the case of metastasis, where tumors have spread and constantly evolve both spatially and temporally in response to treatment over time, multiple biopsies may be required as it is difficult to obtain a holistic image of a tumor. Heterogeneity of resected tumor samples as a whole, also limits the use of invasive methods. Moreover, acquiring biopsy samples by invasive methods throughout treatment to monitor tumor response and relapse also poses a major challenge in tumor profiling. The limitations to such invasive procedures include difficulty in acquiring tumor samples for both tumor quantity and quality (Fig. The standard method of profiling tumors initially involves obtaining resected tumor samples by invasive surgeries. Molecular profiling of tumors obtained from individual patients has in recent years been shown to improve the selection of personalized cancer treatment therapies, patient responses, detection of drug resistance, and monitoring of tumor relapse. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current methodologies involved in liquid biopsies and their application in isolating tumor markers for detection, prognosis, and monitoring cancer treatment outcomes. Though the technology of liquid biopsies is still evolving, its non-invasive nature promises to open new eras in clinical oncology. Liquid biopsies from cancer patients have opened up newer avenues in detection and continuous monitoring, treatment based on precision medicine, and screening of markers for therapeutic resistance. Methods for isolation and analysis of liquid biopsies have rapidly evolved over the past few years as described in the review, thus providing greater details about tumor characteristics such as tumor progression, tumor staging, heterogeneity, gene mutations, and clonal evolution, etc. Liquid biopsies consist of isolating tumor-derived entities like circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, tumor extracellular vesicles, etc., present in the body fluids of patients with cancer, followed by an analysis of genomic and proteomic data contained within them. Liquid biopsies have drastically revolutionized the field of clinical oncology, offering ease in tumor sampling, continuous monitoring by repeated sampling, devising personalized therapeutic regimens, and screening for therapeutic resistance. Over the past decade, invasive techniques for diagnosing and monitoring cancers are slowly being replaced by non-invasive methods such as liquid biopsy.
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