LIMA, Rafaela Andrade Simões de; PEIXOTO, Vitória Lopes; FALEIRO, Mariana Batista Rodrigues
Abstract:
Liquid biopsy is often presented as an alternative to tissue biopsy, particularly in
response to the limitations of conventional diagnostic methods. This study aimed to
critically evaluate the applicability of liquid biopsy in veterinary oncology, addressingits biological foundations, key biomarkers, clinical applications, limitations, and future
perspectives. An integrative literature review was conducted based on a systematic
search of major scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science,
SciELO, and Google Scholar, covering studies published between 2015 and 2025. A
total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The findings revealed
a predominance of studies in dogs and highlighted the central role of cell-free DNA
(cfDNA) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), supported by advances in
next-generation sequencing technologies. Liquid biopsy demonstrated greater
consistency in longitudinal disease monitoring, particularly for assessing therapeutic
response and tumor progression. However, its clinical application remains limited by
factors such as reduced sensitivity in early-stage disease, tumor heterogeneity, and
lack of methodological standardization. Overall, liquid biopsy represents a valuable
complementary tool to traditional diagnostic methods, with future potential linked to
multimodal biomarker integration and ongoing developments in precision medicine.
