Circulating cell free deoxyribonucleic acid for tracking early treatment response and disease progression in advanced cancers

Analysis of circulating cell free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) is a promising and emerging strategy in oncology research because of its potential to improve diagnosis and facilitate precision medicine. A favourable characteristic of cfDNA with respect to cancer patients is that it incorporates circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and hence provides insight into tumour biology and extent of disease from plasma or serum samples. The present review provides a perspective on the current literature pertaining to the use of ctDNA in predicting early treatment response and disease progression, as well as tracking disease progression in advanced cancers