Early detection of molecular residual disease and risk stratification for stage I to III colorectal cancer via circulating tumor DNA methylation
Prof. Guoxiang Cai
Detection of molecular residual disease and risk stratification as early as possiblemay improve outcomes of patients with cancer. Efficient pragmatic tests are needed. A prospective trial at two centers in Shanghai (China) evaluated circulating tumor DNA status with 6 DNA methylation markers among patients with stage I to III colorectal cancer. The presence of stDNA was strongly associated with recurrence before an after surgery, after adjuvant chemotherapy, and during longitudinal monitoring. The authors conclude that longitudinal assessment of ctDNA methylation may enable the early detection of recurrence of colorectal cancer, potentially optimizing risk stratification and postoperative treatment.
