Question

What is the application of PCR in cancer?

Answer 1

Hint: Digital polymerase chain reaction is a biotechnological improvement on traditional polymerase chain reaction technologies that may be used to directly quantify and clonally amplified nucleic acid strands such as DNA, cDNA, or RNA. The method of measuring nucleic acid quantities is the main distinction between dPCR and regular PCR, with the former being more precise than PCR but also more prone to error in the hands of novice users. A "digital" measurement measures a variable quantitatively and discretely, whereas a "analogue" measurement extrapolates certain measurements based on measured patterns.

Complete answer:
These fragments of DNA can be amplified and detected using PCR. PCR can be used to look for specific mutations in a gene or chromosome, which can aid in the detection and diagnosis of a genetic disorder or disease like cancer.
Liquid biopsy has a substantially shorter wait time than tissue biopsy, resulting in shorter median times to treatment decision and earlier treatment start times. Biomarker data is available early in the therapy process, which can help oncologists analyse patients more quickly and determine the best treatment options. The sensitivity of a liquid biopsy test, on the other hand, stems from the underlying technology that detects and amplifies the DNA.
When you need to investigate a few known mutations, droplet digital PCR is the most sensitive and fastest assay for examining somatic mutations, either in tissue or via liquid biopsy. “At a minimal cost, we can precisely and quickly assess cell-free circulating DNA with high sensitivity. It is a better alternative to NGS approaches for routinely detecting significant biomarkers and genetic variants associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which can aid in the determination of targeted therapy in these patients”.

Note:
Applications of PCR-
PCR is used to amplify DNA.
It is useful in DNA fingerprinting.
It is used to diagnose genetic diseases.
In gene expression study, PCR is used to amplify a small DNA fragment in order to extract a big quantity of it.
Paternity tests.
In the phylogenetic analysis of DNA from any source such as fossils.