Key clinical point: The detection of circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) following curative surgery for colorectal cancer is an independent predictor for poor prognosis.
Major finding: The post-operative detection of ctDNA at the first liquid biopsy following surgery was associated with poor progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 6.92; 95% CI 4.49-10.64) with the findings being consistent when stratified according to adjuvant chemotherapy use (adjuvant chemotherapy: HR 6.01, 95% CI 2.96-12.21; no adjuvant chemotherapy: HR 10.3; 95% CI 6.46-16.45) and disease extent (primary resection: HR 7.93; 95% CI 4.27-14.75; metastasectomy: HR 5.08; 95% CI 2.85-9.05).
Study details: The findings are from a meta-analysis of 37 studies including 3002 patients.
Disclosures: No funding source was declared. The authors declare no competing interests.
Source: Faulkner LG et al. The utility of ctDNA in detecting minimal residual disease following curative surgery in colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Cancer. 2022 (Nov 8). Doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-02017-9