Cancers
Bile Cell-Free DNA as a Liquid Biopsy for Biliary Tract Malignancies: A Scoping Review
By Arjun Dhir, Brian Martins, Zachary Phillip Yeung and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) carry a poor prognosis driven by frequent diagnosis at advanced or metastatic stages. Inadequate tissue sampling impedes biomarker-directed selection of therapy that could potentially improve outcomes over limited chemotherapeutic options. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) yields limited sensitivity. However, given its direct contact with the tumor, bile holds promise as a locally enriched source of tumor-derived cfDNA for evaluation.
Methods
Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE without date restrictions. Seventeen primary studies of bile cfDNA in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), gallbladder carcinoma (GBC), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were synthesized narratively.