Liquid Biopsy: Catching Cancer Early With a Simple Blood Test

In 2010, scientists Catherine Alix-Panabières and Klaus Pantel coined the term “liquid biopsy”, which Nature later named one of the key cancer discoveries of the last 20 years. Their blood-based approach can detect cancer early, spare patients painful needle biopsies, help doctors choose the right therapy and flag when a treatment stops working. Professor Pantel says a $1,000 test could save around $10,000 in ineffective treatment. In this conversation with The Economic Times pharma editor Vikas Dandekar, they explain why adoption is still slow, how India can take a bigger role in global clinical trials, and how immunotherapy and AI could shape the future of cancer care. Listen in