Cancer Biomarkers in Liquid Biopsy for Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm in women worldwide. Liquid biopsy (LB) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that allows the analysis of biomarkers in different body fluids, particularly in peripheral blood and also in urine, saliva, nipple discharge, volatile respiratory fluids, nasal secretions, breast milk, and tears. The objective was to analyze the available evidence related to the use of biomarkers obtained by LB for the early diagnosis of BC. Methods: Articles related to the use of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of BC due to LB, published between 2010 and 2022, from the databases (WoS, EMBASE, PubMed, and SCOPUS) were included. The MInCir diagnostic scale was applied in the articles to determine their methodological quality (MQ). Descriptive statistics were used, as well as determination of weighted averages of each variable, to analyze the extracted data. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve values for specific biomarkers (individual or in panels) are described. Results: In this systematic review (SR), 136 articles met the selection criteria, representing 17 709 patients with BC. However, 95.6% were case-control studies. In 96.3% of cases, LB was performed in peripheral blood samples. Most of the articles were based on microRNA (miRNA) analysis. The mean MQ score was 25/45 points. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve values for specific biomarkers (individual or in panels) have been found. Conclusions: The determination of biomarkers through LB is a useful mechanism for the diagnosis of BC. The analysis of miRNA in peripheral blood is the most studied methodology. Our results indicate that LB has a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of BC, especially in early stages.

Biopsia Líquida: Avances en El Diagnóstico Del Cáncer De Mama

“…La BL ha permitido la identificación de diversos biomarcadores que son de gran utilidad clínica en el diagnóstico y tratamiento del cáncer de mama (10,11). Entre los biomarcadores más relevantes se encuentran:…”

“…La BL ha revolucionado el diagnóstico del CM al permitir la detección temprana de la enfermedad y la estratificación de pacientes en función de biomarcadores específicos (11,22). Al analizar biomarcadores como el ADN tumoral circulante (ctDNA) y el ARN mensajero circulante (ctRNA), la BL puede identificar la presencia de células tumorales en etapas iniciales, incluso antes de que aparezcan síntomas clínicos (4,11,12,14).…”

Optimization of Surface Functionalizations for Ring Resonator-Based Biosensors

“…Liquid biopsy has been proven in recent years as an effective tool for non-invasive diagnosis and followup for several pathologies in the wide context of personalized medicine [1][2][3]. Sources of samples for liquid biopsy are almost all body fluids, such as plasma, urine, and saliva, which contain several components considered to be biomarkers of the physiopathological state of an individual [4,5]. The accessibility of these samples and the recent development of suitable technologies has pushed liquid biopsy out of traditional laboratories toward point-of-care (POC) tests.…”

Machine learning approach identifies miRNA signatures for breast cancer detection and classification from patient urine samples

“…They are found in many different cell types and tissues and have been shown to play a role in a wide range of biological processes, including cell growth and proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs can also be found in body uids, such as blood and urine (4), where they can be easily isolated and quanti ed and can act as biomarkers for various diseases, including cancer (5,6).…”