Will the liquid biopsy replace traditional hematopathology?

Excerpt

In this issue’s literature review [1], I end with the remark that is the title of this editorial, based on work by Rossi et al. [2]. They show that deep sequencing of cell-free DNA obtained from the blood provides molecular information on a lymphoma of a patient that is not only an accurate reflection of what was obtained from a traditional biopsy but even goes beyond that. It was possible to have repeated blood testing over time and detect resistance mutations, something not feasible by tissue biopsies. Of course, these findings need to be confirmed, in larger groups of patients, in different laboratories, but I have no doubt that they will be. In fact, for lung cancer, blood testing has already partly replaced tissue biopsies. I question therefore the future of hematopathology in its present form. However, I have also great confidence that the role of hematopathologists will remain, and may even become larger, provided that hematopathologists will adapt to the new technologies and possibilities. Since in the past they have always done so, I see no reason they will not do so in the future. …