Home / The Science

The science behind the test

The molecular footprint of cancer.

Three scientific shifts power our approach — liquid biopsy, cell-free DNA, and epigenetic methylation. Here is why each one matters.

01 · Why liquid biopsy

Cancer detection through a simple blood test

For decades, tissue biopsy has been the gold standard for cancer diagnosis. While informative, it is invasive, costly, often painful, and frequently fails to capture the full biological complexity of a patient's disease.

Liquid biopsy is a paradigm shift. Rather than requiring surgical access to a tumour, it analyses tumour-derived biomarkers circulating in the bloodstream — cfDNA, ctDNA, RNA fragments, extracellular vesicles, and proteins — giving clinicians a dynamic molecular snapshot from a simple blood sample.

Advantages of liquid biopsy

  • Minimally invasive blood-based testing
  • Real-time disease monitoring
  • Earlier detection of recurrence
  • Repeatable longitudinal surveillance
  • Better representation of tumour heterogeneity
  • Improved patient comfort and compliance
02 · Why cfDNA & ctDNA

Reading the genetic material cancer leaves behind

Every day, billions of cells undergo natural turnover, releasing fragmented DNA into the bloodstream — cell-free DNA (cfDNA). In cancer patients, a small fraction originates directly from tumour cells: circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Because ctDNA carries tumour-specific alterations, it lets us detect cancer without sampling the tumour itself.

Early detection

Tumour-derived fragments may become detectable before symptoms emerge — identifying disease at earlier, more treatable stages.

Residual disease

After surgery or therapy, ctDNA can reveal microscopic residual disease undetectable by conventional imaging.

Treatment monitoring

Changes in ctDNA levels give an early indication of therapeutic response — or of treatment failure.

Recurrence prediction

Studies show ctDNA can identify molecular relapse months before radiological recurrence becomes apparent.

Why PlasmaDtect focuses on cfDNA

Unlike conventional tissue-based assays that depend on tumour biopsy specimens, we use highly sensitive cfDNA extraction and analysis to enable comprehensive molecular assessment from a simple blood draw. Our proprietary workflow is specifically optimized to preserve low-abundance DNA fragments — maximizing sensitivity in early-stage disease and low-tumour-burden settings where conventional approaches often fail.

03 · Why epigenetics & DNA methylation

Looking beyond mutations

Most platforms focus on genetic mutations. But mutations are only part of the story — long before visible tumours develop, cancer cells undergo profound epigenetic alterations that occur earlier, more consistently, and across more patients.

What is DNA methylation?

DNA methylation is a natural biochemical process in which methyl groups are added to specific DNA regions known as CpG islands. In healthy cells, methylation regulates normal gene expression.

In cancer cells, abnormal methylation patterns arise — inappropriately activating oncogenes and silencing tumour-suppressor genes. These aberrant signatures are among the earliest molecular events in cancer development, and they are often tissue-specific, enabling accurate identification of the tumour's origin.

Why methylation is ideal for liquid biopsy

  • Higher biological signal abundance
  • Earlier detection capability
  • Greater sensitivity in low-shedding tumours
  • Applicability across multiple cancer types
  • Improved performance for early-stage disease
  • Better detection of molecular residual disease
PlasmaDtect's epigenetic advantage

An integrated multi-omic framework

We've developed a proprietary methylation-based platform designed for the molecular epidemiology of the Indian population, combining five technologies into one clinically actionable result.

1 Advanced cfDNA isolation
2 Enzymatic conversion
3 Methylation panels
4 Proteomic signatures
5 AI-driven analysis

The future of oncology is non-invasive

We believe in continuous molecular surveillance that enables earlier intervention and more informed clinical decisions. Let's build it together.

Get in touch