The Utility of Liquid Biopsy in Central Nervous System Malignancies

Authors

Kathryn S. Nevel, Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
Jessica A. Wilcox, Department of Neurology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, 520 E 70th St, Starr Pavilion 607, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Lindsay J. Robell, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1914 Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5316, USA.
Yoshie Umemura, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1914 Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5316, USA. yoshie@med.umich.edu.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Liquid biopsy is a sampling of tumor cells or tumor nucleotides from biofluids. This review explores the roles of liquid biopsy for evaluation and management of patients with primary and metastatic CNS malignancies. RECENT FINDINGS: Circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection has emerged as a relatively sensitive and specific tool for diagnosing leptomeningeal metastases. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection can effectively demonstrate genetic markup of CNS tumors in the cerebrospinal fluid, though its role in managing CNS malignancies is less well-defined. The value of micro RNA (miRNA) detection in CNS malignancies is unclear at this time. Current standard clinical tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of CNS malignancies have limitations, and liquid biopsy may help address clinical practice and knowledge gaps. Liquid biopsy offers exciting potential for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of CNS malignancies, but each modality needs to be studied in large prospective trials to better define their use.

Medical Subject Headings

Biomarkers, Tumor (cerebrospinal fluid, metabolism); Central Nervous System Neoplasms (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, pathology); Circulating MicroRNA (cerebrospinal fluid); Circulating Tumor DNA (cerebrospinal fluid); Humans; Liquid Biopsy (standards); Meningeal Neoplasms (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, pathology); Neoplasm Metastasis (diagnosis, pathology); Neoplastic Cells, Circulating (metabolism, pathology)

Publication Date

6-6-2018

Publication Title

Current oncology reports

E-ISSN

1534-6269

Volume

20

Issue

8

First Page

60

PubMed ID

29876874

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1007/s11912-018-0706-x

Recommended Citation

Nevel, Kathryn S.; Wilcox, Jessica A.; Robell, Lindsay J.; and Umemura, Yoshie, "The Utility of Liquid Biopsy in Central Nervous System Malignancies" (2018). Neurology. 1457.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurology/1457