Circulating Nucleic Acids as Promising Biomarkers: A New Frontier of Personalized Medicine

Abstract

Biomarkers are a range of biological signals that measure the presence and severity of the disease. This literature review assesses circulating DNA (ctDNA) and microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers detected in liquid and tissue biopsies and their importance in the prognosis, outcomes, and treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These biomarkers have the potential for clinical use; however, further studies with requisite data and sufficiently large trials are required to refine our understanding of their applicability. The prognostic significance of ctDNA and miRNA biomarkers in NSCLC care has demonstrated that liquid biopsy and molecular diagnostic testing may provide a feasible and noninvasive method for tailoring treatment plans to the specific mutational landscape of diverse NSCLC patients. However, further testing must be conducted to analyze the significance and benefit of ctDNA and miRNA biomarkers in larger cohorts and substantiate the standardization of liquid biopsy in clinical practice.