**Meet the editors**

Professor Ilze Strumfa, MD, PhD, is an outstanding medical lecturer, actively involved in research in pathology. She graduated from the Medical Academy of Latvia with a distinction (1998), underwent board certification in pathology (2001), and received her PhD degree in 2005. Currently, she holds the positions of professor and head of the Department of Pathology

in the Riga Stradins University (RSU), Latvia. Her 10 years of teaching experience have culminated with the Annual Award (2018) of RSU *for* the most distinguished teacher: *"Lecturer of the Year..* She is a member of the European Society of Pathology, and an author/coauthor of more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and 14 chapters in scientific monographs and medical textbooks. She has supervised nine PhD students creating a team of dedicated young pathologists. Professor Strumfa has been the leading expert in several European and national research projects devoted to the development of diagnostic technologies, neuroendocrine and endocrine tumors, breast cancer, laboratory training in research, and the tumor microenvironment. Her main research interests include morphological and molecular diagnostics and prognostic assessment of malignant tumors, development and standardization of new technologies, as well as digital pathology and other innovations in pathology.

Janis Gardovskis is a professor of surgery, habilitated medical doctor, and practicing surgeon. He is also Head of the Department of Surgery at Riga Stradiņš University and Head of the Department of Surgery in Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital. He is an actual member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and a member of the Latvian Association of Surgeons. Has has fellow-

ships in surgery in Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. Professor Gardovskis' areas of interest include videosurgery, pancreatic surgery, oncologic surgery, transplantation, hereditary oncologic diseases, and life quality in surgery. He has participated in many international and local scientific projects and clinical trials. He has also participated in the publication of at least five monographs and about 44 scientific publications in international citation databases (Scopus, PubMed), as well as in numerous other papers. About 18 doctoral dissertations were defended under the supervision of Professor Gardovskis.

Contents

**Preface VII**

**of the Future 3**

Chapter 3 **Circulating Cell-Free DNA 37**

Sevcikova

Guntis Bahs

Ilze Strumfa and Janis Gardovskis

Kah Yee Goh and Wan-Teck Lim

Yingli Sun, Ke An and Caiyun Yang

**Applied to Liquid Biopsy 49**

Chapter 5 **Liquid Biopsies in Multiple Myeloma 67**

**Section 2 Liquid Biopsy: Technological Breakthrough 11**

Chapter 1 **Introductory Chapter: Liquid Biopsy — A Promising Technology**

Chapter 2 **Profiling Circulating Tumour Cells for Clinical Applications 13**

Chapter 4 **A Review on Machine Learning and Deep Learning Techniques**

**Section 3 Liquid Biopsy in the Diagnostics of Malignant Tumors 65**

Chapter 6 **Liquid Biopsy in Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma 87**

Arets Paeglis, Boriss Strumfs, Dzeina Mezale and Ilze Fridrihsone

David Vrabel, Adela Souckova, Lenka Sedlarikova and Sabina

Ilze Fridrihsone, Arnis Abolins, Andrejs Vanags, Dzeina Mezale and

**Section 1 Introduction 1**
