Circulating Cell-Free Tumor Deoxyribonucleic Acid Analysis as a Tool for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Pediatric Solid Tumors

The utility of cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid analysis is currently being evaluated in a wide range of clinical studies. The validity of cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid analysis methods used for screening and detecting malignant diseases, monitoring the effectiveness of treatment and disease progression, and identifying potential relapse is tested. Molecular technologies used for cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid analysis include targeted polymerase chain reaction assays and next-generation sequencing approaches along with newly introduced epigenetic analysis methods such as methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The aim of this review was to compare the methods, pitfalls, and advantages of tests developed for the analysis of cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric solid tumors. For this purpose, the PubMed database was searched for articles published in the last 10 years, in English, that investigated a human cohort aged 0 to 18 years. A total of 272 references were analyzed. A total of 33 studies were included in the review. Cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid analysis has emerged as a promising novel approach that could potentially bring a significant improvement in the field of pediatric oncology, but the implementation of cell-free tumor deoxyribonucleic acid in clinical practice is largely hindered by the lack of standardized methods for processing and analysis.