Nationwide study of potential clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA detection in colorectal cancer in Denmark

A nationwide study in Denmark evaluated digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) assessment of levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for personalized estimation of risk of recurrence. Both postoperative ctDNA detection (HR 11.3; p<0.001) and ctDNA detection during follow-up (HR 30.7; p<0.001) were prognostic of recurrence. In patients with recurrence, postoperative ctDNA detection was challenging for lung metastases (4/21 detected) and peritoneal metastases (2/10 detected). The authors conclude that a personalized dPCR approach effectively detects recurrence.