Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) consists of small fragments of DNA that circulate freely in the bloodstream. In cancer patients, a fraction of cfDNA is derived from tumour cells, therefore containing the same genetic and epigenetic alterations, and is termed circulating cell-free tumour DNA. The potential use of cfDNA, the so-called ‘liquid biopsy’, as a non-invasive cancer biomarker has recently received a lot of attention. The present review will focus on studies concerning the potential clinical applications of cfDNA in ovarian cancer patients.

中文翻译：

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循环游离 DNA 在卵巢癌患者中的潜在临床应用

循环游离 DNA (cfDNA) 由在血流中自由循环的 DNA 小片段组成。在癌症患者中，一部分 cfDNA 来源于肿瘤细胞，因此包含相同的遗传和表观遗传改变，被称为循环无细胞肿瘤 DNA。cfDNA（即所谓的“液体活检”）作为非侵入性癌症生物标志物的潜在用途最近受到了广泛关注。本综述将重点关注有关 cfDNA 在卵巢癌患者中的潜在临床应用的研究。