State-of-the-art nanotechnologies for the detection, recovery, analysis and elimination of liquid biopsy components in cancer

•Potential blood-based biosources in cancer liquid biopsy were introduced.•We reviewed nanoparticle-labeled with targeting-moieties, nanostructured substrates and nanobiosensors in liquid biopsy.•The mechanisms and methods of using functional nanoparticles to capture and recover CTCs were summarized.•Nanotechnology-mediated downstream analysis and elimination of CTCs were also discussed.•We offered an outlook on the challenges and suggestions for nanotechnology-based cancer liquid biopsy.