Dr. Sparano on the Utility of Liquid Biopsies in Breast Cancer

Joseph A. Sparano, MD, associate director for clinical research, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, professor of Medicine & Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and associate chairman for Clinical Research in the Department of Oncology at Montefiore Medical Center, discusses the utility of liquid biopsies in breast cancer.

In breast cancer, liquid biopsies have limited utility, says Sparano. However, they have shown promise in identifying women who have metastatic estrogen receptor—positive breast cancer and PIK3CA mutations. One of the advantages of liquid biopsies is convenience. With further validation, liquid biopsies could become available in the near future, says Sparano.

Liquid biopsies could also be used to test for ESR1 mutations to identify patients who have acquired resistance to aromatase inhibitors. Such information is prognostic and potentially predictive of response to more effective treatment with selective ER downregulators, concludes Sparano.