Purpose of review: The field of liquid biopsies is constantly evolving through novel technologies. This review outlines current data on liquid biopsies and application to clinical management of metastatic prostate cancer.
Recent findings: To date, there are three platforms with FDA approval for use in the setting of metastatic prostate cancer and others which have been clinically validated. There is substantial evidence supporting the use of circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration to guide prognosis in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Additional evidence supports targeted sequencing of CTC and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to guide androgren-directed therapy, identify candidates for treatment with PARP inhibitors, and monitor development of resistance. As a real-time and minimally invasive approach, utilization of liquid biopsies has the potential to drastically impact the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer and improve overall survival. With further clinical validation, additional liquid biopsy is likely to enter standard clinical practice.
Keywords: Cell-free DNA; Circulating tumor DNA; Circulating tumor cells; Liquid biopsy; Metastatic prostate cancer.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.