A liquid biopsy is a simple and non-invasive alternative to surgical biopsies which enables doctors to discover a range of information about a tumour through a simple blood sample.

Traces of the cancer’s DNA in the blood can give clues about which treatments are most likely to work for that patient.

For eg., a liquid biopsy test that can detect epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, which occur in 10-35 per cent of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), will help doctors to choose the right treatment for the right patient at the right time.

Much of the early research on liquid biopsies has been in lung, breast and prostate cancers but this technology is expected to have an impact on all types of cancer.