Clinical applications and utility of ctDNA in cervical cancer and its precursor lesions: from screening to predictive biomarker

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of gynecological cancer death in the world. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most causative factor of cervical cancer. In addition, many genetic factors are involved in cervical cancer development. Most studies focus on cervical samples to do research work about cervical cancer and precancerous lesions, but no sensitive or specific biomarkers were found. High-throughput genomic technologies are able to capture information from tumors and precancerous lesions in blood, thus providing a new way for the early diagnosis of cervical precancer and cervical cancer. Blood is an ideal specimen for detecting cancer biomarkers because it contains a lot of information, such as circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). This article reviews the clinical use and challenges of blood ctDNA testing in patients with cervical precancer and cervical cancer.