Cell-free DNA and the monitoring of lymphoma treatment

The technique of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis, also called liquid biopsy, has been developed over the past several years to serve as a minimal residual disease tool, as has already been done with reliability and robustness in acute leukemias. This technique has important theoretical advantages, including the simplicity of acquiring blood samples, which can easily be repeated over time, its noninvasive and quantitative nature, which provides results consistent with the results obtained from tumor genomic DNA, and its speed and low cost. cfDNA analysis, as the leading tool to quantify somatic mutations, is a major technological leap in the noninvasive management of lymphomas. This technology may empower monitoring and treatment adjustment in real time and enable the quick detection of refractory lymphomas and resistance to routine therapies. Here, we summarize the results that have established the clinical relevance of cfDNA in diagnostic and prognostic stratification and the monitoring of lymphoma treatments.