Aspect Liquid Biopsy

Aspect
Liquid Biopsy

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  • What is Aspect Liquid Biopsy?

    Aspect Liquid Biopsy is a non-invasive, safe and ultrasensitive cancer screening option which identifies genomic alterations from a simple blood test using the circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Clinical Labs is proud to be the first Australian private laboratory to offer liquid biopsy, allowing oncologists to choose a targeted therapy, monitor treatment resistance and detect minimal residual disease, without patients undergoing an invasive procedure. View this short video to see how Aspect Liquid Biopsy works:  

    At Clinical Labs, we currently offer Aspect Liquid Biopsy testing for the following cancers: 

    • Lung Cancer
    • Colorectal Cancer
    • Melanoma

  • What are the benefits of liquid biopsy? 
    • Liquid biopsy is less invasive 
    • Liquid biopsy can identify therapeutic targets 
    • ctDNA shows high concordance with solid tissue biopsies 
    • ctDNA is a highly specific real time monitoring biomarker 
    • ctDNA reflects the overall tumour information  
    • ctDNA detects early relapse 
    • Liquid biopsy is the quality choice for monitoring tumour burden and therapeutic response 
    • ctDNA detects minimal residual disease (MRD) 

  • Why is liquid biopsy so important? 

    Early detection is the holy grail of cancer management. The biggest advantage of Aspect Liquid Biopsy is to detect the cancer biomarkers in blood earlier than conventional methods. It has been demonstrated that monitoring for tumour-derived DNA in the plasma can identify relapse or drug resistance well before clinical signs and symptoms appear, enabling earlier intervention and better outcomes. 

    Surgical tissue biopsies have some inherent shortcomings and risks, as well as not guaranteeing enough material collected for accurate analysis in clinical practice. Liquid biopsy provides a non-invasive alternative sample source, allowing the identification of genomic alterations that can be addressed by targeted therapy. This non-invasive type of liquid biopsy can be taken easily and repeatedly over the course of a patient’s treatment. ctDNA provides new insight into diagnosis, prognosis and patient follow-up compared to traditional tissue biopsy. 

    Over time, resistant clones may grow out of the tumour containing other variants that were not detected from the initial solid tissue biopsy which makes the information of the genetic makeup of the original tumour historical. Aspect Liquid Biopsy enables the discovery of those new DNA markers in the blood in real-time, supporting the most effective treatment decisions. In the future, instead of extensive imaging and invasive tissue biopsies, liquid biopsies could be used to guide cancer treatment decisions and perhaps even screen for tumours that are not yet visible on imaging. 

  • Video Education Modules 

    Watch our two educational modules on Aspect Liquid Biopsy, presented by the National Director of Molecular Genetics at Australian Clinical Labs, Associate Professor Mirette Saad. 

    Aspect Liquid Biopsy | Educational Module | Part 1 | Approx 17 mins 

    Aspect Liquid Biopsy | Educational Module | Part 2 | Approx 18 mins 

About the Author

Associate Professor Mirette Saad

Associate Professor Mirette Saad

MBBS(Hons) MD(Hons) MAACB FRCPA PhD

Associate Professor Mirette Saad

MBBS(Hons) MD(Hons) MAACB FRCPA PhD
Location: Clayton (VIC)
Speciality: Chemical Pathology
Areas of Interest:
  • antenatal screening
  • cancer genetics
  • clinical research and medical teaching
  • endocrine
  • fertility testing
  • molecular genetics
  • nipt
  • precision medicine
About

Associate Professor Mirette Saad is a Consultant Chemical Pathologist and the National Director of Molecular Genetics at Australian Clinical Labs. She has a Fellowship with honours in Chemical and Molecular Pathology, with Microbiology sub-speciality, from overseas. A/P Saad received her NHMRC sponsored PhD degree in Cancer Genetics from Melbourne University and Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute. Along with her teaching and research roles, A/P Saad is a registered medical practitioner with AHPRA, a Chemical Pathology Fellow (FRCPA) at the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and a Member of the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (MAACB). She is a Chair of the RCPA Chemical Pathology Advisory Committee, Member of the RCPA Genetic Advisory Committee, AACB and a Chair of the Precision Medicine Services at Australian Clinical Labs. At Clinical Labs, A/Prof Mirette Saad leads the Molecular Genetic testing for NIPT, antenatal screening, personalised drug therapy and cancer.

How to Order Aspect Liquid Biopsy

When to Order:

  • For Lung Cancer & Melanoma: At diagnosis or on therapy for treatment selection.

  • For Colorectal Cancer: At diagnosis for treatment selection.

Request Form Instructions:

  • Health practitioners can order Aspect Liquid Biopsy for cancer patients using the Aspect Liquid Biopsy form.

  • Patients can visit any of our convenient locations for their blood test. For locations, please visit our Locations page.

Specimens Required:

  • This test requires TWO 10ml blood samples (special tubes).

Test Cost:

  • No Medicare rebate available. An out-of-pocket fee of $550 applies.

Turnaround Time:

  • 5–7 business days from the sample receipt date.

Notes:

  • A negative result does not rule out the presence of a mutation that may be present but below the limits of detection for this assay (<2%).

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Oct 2022 - Aspect liquid biopsy

Aspect Liquid Biopsy

Associate Professor Mirette Saad outlines how liquid biopsy using ctDNA enables non-invasive cancer monitoring and guides personalised treatment decisions.

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