Inside STAT: 5 questions facing companies developing liquid biopsies for cancer screening

(ALISSA AMBROSE/STAT)

A big ambition for companies developing liquid biopsy tests is using these diagnostics to screen people and detect cancer early — before it spreads. But the tests, which work by analyzing bits of DNA and other molecules shed by tumor cells, have yet to fully prove that they will be able to pick up on cancer using blood samples. It’s also unclear whether detecting cancer through liquid biopsy will actually change the outcome for the patient. In the latest installment of our series exploring health tech, I asked some of the companies in the liquid biopsy space five big questions that are still looming — including how to avoid false positives — before these tests can become a regular part of the cancer screening landscape. STAT Plus subscribers can read more here.