Varanasi: A two-day national workshop on ‘Decoding Cancer through Liquid Biopsy: A Hands-on Workshop from cfDNA/cfRNA Extraction to ddPCR Data Interpretation’ concluded on Wednesday at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University .
He said Sir Sundarlal Hospital caters to around 25,000 new cancer patients annually.
He said solid biopsies continue to remain the mainstay of definitive cancer diagnosis. Prof Chaturvedi said such technologies are already being used in clinical settings at IMS-BHU and are contributing to research publications and technology transfer. The workshop was organised by the DIAMOnDS Centre, IMS-BHU, with the support of the health research department and the Indian Council of Medical Research. The programme provided participants with practical exposure to liquid biopsy techniques, including cfDNA and cfRNA extraction, ddPCR workflow, data analysis and result interpretation. It also focused on the application of these methods in cancer diagnostics and research. The workshop featured hands-on training, expert-led sessions, case-based discussions and demonstrations, combining theoretical learning with practical exposure to emerging liquid biopsy technologies. During the inaugural session, four researchers were felicitated for their contributions to translational oncology research. Dr Rohi Dikshit, Dr Monica Rajput, Dr Gautrina and Dr Rashmi Patel were recognised for their work in patents, molecular diagnostics, gut-microbiota-based cancer research and AI-enabled cancer research. Addressing the workshop, BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi highlighted advances in cancer research and the emergence of rapid, minimally invasive diagnostic techniques using body fluids such as blood, saliva and urine. Prof Pandey added that the Centre’s next phase of development would include a 3D cell culture and organoid laboratory, high-end GPU infrastructure, slide scanning, spatial pathology and AI-enabled research capabilities.