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Potential clinical applications of circulating cell-free DNA in ovarian cancer patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2018

Ana Barbosa ,
Ana Peixoto ,
Pedro Pinto ,
Manuela Pinheiro  and
Manuel R. Teixeira Open the ORCID record for Manuel R. Teixeira [Opens in a new window]
Ana Barbosa
Affiliation:
Cancer Genetics Group, IPO-Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal
Ana Peixoto
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal
Pedro Pinto
Affiliation:
Cancer Genetics Group, IPO-Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal
Manuela Pinheiro
Affiliation:
Cancer Genetics Group, IPO-Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal
Manuel R. Teixeira*
Affiliation:
Cancer Genetics Group, IPO-Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
*
Author for correspondence: Manuel R. Teixeira, E-mail: manuel.teixeira@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
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Abstract

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) consists of small fragments of DNA that circulate freely in the bloodstream. In cancer patients, a fraction of cfDNA is derived from tumour cells, therefore containing the same genetic and epigenetic alterations, and is termed circulating cell-free tumour DNA. The potential use of cfDNA, the so-called ‘liquid biopsy’, as a non-invasive cancer biomarker has recently received a lot of attention. The present review will focus on studies concerning the potential clinical applications of cfDNA in ovarian cancer patients.

Keywords

Cell-free circulating DNAcell-free circulating tumour DNAdiagnosisliquid biopsyovarian cancerprognosistherapy monitoring
Type
Unsolicited Review
Information
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine , Volume 20 , 2018 , e6
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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