Multi-Cancer Early Detection via Liquid Biopsy: Promises, Pitfalls, and What Comes Next
This review from Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology evaluates the current state of liquid biopsy-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests that combine cancer detection with tissue-of-origin identification. While large-scale randomized trials are underway, the authors critically examine whether first-generation MCED diagnostic performance is sufficient to deliver clinical benefit. The paper maps possible trajectories for the field, including the need for evidence on overdiagnosis, false positives, and health system readiness.
The original study
Promises and pitfalls of multi-cancer early detection using liquid biopsy tests.
- Authors
- Wan JCM, Sasieni P, Rosenfeld N
- Journal
- Nature reviews. Clinical oncology
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 40514453
Original abstract
Cancer screening is an essential public health intervention for diagnosing cancers at an early stage that can enable earlier treatment - ideally with curative intent - and thus lead to improved outcomes. Over the past decade, liquid biopsy-based tests have emerged as a promising, minimally invasive and broadly applicable screening approach by combining multi-cancer early detection (MCED) with tumour tissue-of-origin identification. Large-scale randomized clinical trials evaluating liquid biopsy-based MCED approaches are now under way, although whether the diagnostic performance of this first generation of MCED tests is sufficient to translate into clinical benefits remains to be determined. In this Review, we discuss the promises and pitfalls of current MCED tests and highlight possible trajectories for the field of early cancer detection.