Maximizing genomic biomarker detection with liquid biopsy profiling

When tumor tissue is limited or unavailable, precision oncology can still deliver answers. Once viewed only as a backup to tissue testing, liquid biopsy use cases continue to expand in both clinical trials and patient diagnostics. By analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from a simple blood draw, liquid biopsy-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) offers a scalable, non-invasive solution that expands access to biomarker testing, even in patients with limited biopsy options.

 

Ellen Verner, senior manager, CLIA analysis at Labcorp’s CAP/CLIA oncology laboratory in Baltimore, MD, U.S., shared how the liquid biopsy-based Labcorp® Plasma Complete test addresses real-world challenges and supports clinical and biopharma research efforts alike.
 

Q: What motivated the development of the Labcorp Plasma Complete test?

A: Liquid biopsy is a complementary tool to traditional tissue testing that can overcome challenges with limited tissue and enable biomarker testing throughout the patient journey. Labcorp Plasma Complete was developed to offer a robust, sensitive and clinically validated liquid biopsy option. The assay was validated in over 800 samples across 20+ cancer types to provide broad applicability.

Q: How comprehensive is the Labcorp Plasma Complete assay?

A: It’s a wide-spectrum test. Plasma Complete reports sequence variants in 521 genes, detects actionable copy number amplifications and translocations and provides microsatellite instability status. The test gives clinicians a panoramic view of the patient’s mutational landscape, all from a single blood draw with a turnaround time averaging under 10 days.

Q: How can this test be leveraged in a biopharma setting?

A: In addition to being used for clinical decision support, Plasma Complete is available as a biopharma service for research and investigational use.* The platform supports additional analysis, including blood-based tumor mutation burden (bTMB), loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and optional matched-normal analysis to help differentiate tumor-derived mutations from germline or clonal hematopoiesis-related variants.

Q: What’s next for Plasma Complete?

A: Plans include enabling the Plasma Complete service for clinical trial use in our global Labcorp central laboratories. We’re also expanding the test’s functionality, both for clinical care and for biopharma development.
 

*Available for investigational use after appropriate regulatory considerations.