March 2025—Like an inspired Adam in the Garden of Eden, molecular experts have been busy with the naming process as it applies to liquid biopsy. It’s lost to the myths of time whether Adam revised his nomenclature, but pathologists and other experts are eager to identify new assays as they push this field forward, from circulating cell-free DNA to circulating tumor DNA to circulating tumor RNA. Soon another assay, one that combines ctDNA and ctRNA, could begin to make its mark as well, says Keyur P. Patel, MD, PhD, medical director of the molecular diagnostics laboratory, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He and his colleagues plan to launch an assay to look for circulating total nucleic acid. “DNA plus RNA equals TNA—that’s the mathematical equation,” jokes Dr. Patel, who is also professor, Department of Hematopathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. And like that first zookeeper, there’s even an actual beast for experts to name.