Advances in the Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Through Liquid Biopsy

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer refers to the development of malignant tumors in the pancreas: it is associated with high mortality rates and mostly goes undetected in its early stages for lack of symptoms. Currently, surgical treatment is the only effective way to improve the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Therefore, it is crucial to diagnose the disease as early as possible in order to improve the survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer. Liquid biopsy is a unique in vitro diagnostic technique offering the advantage of earlier detection of tumors. Although liquid biopsies have shown promise for screening for certain cancers, whether they are effective for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is unclear. Therefore, we reviewed relevant literature indexed in PubMed and collated updates and information on advances in the field of liquid biopsy with respect to the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: cfDNA (circulating free DNA); diagnose; exosomes; liquid biopsy; pancreatic cancer.