Prospective study of ctDNA analysis to detect recurrence after surgery for colorectal cancer

The prospective VICTORI study at BC Cancer (Vancouver, Canada), presented today at the AACR Annual Meeting in Chicago, explored the use of an ultrasensitive MRD assay (‘NeXT Personal’) to dectect recurrence after surgery for colorectal cancer. All evaluable patients with recurrence were ctDNA-positive prior to recurrence. ctDNA detection preceded clinical relapse detectec by standard of care imaging by a median of 194 days (range 1-416). Most recurrences had ctDNA detected within 8 weeks post-surgery. Higher ctDNA levels at first detection were linked to shorter times to clinical relapse. The authors conclude that VICTORI provides insight in the prognostic value of ultrasensitive ctDNA detection after surgery for CRC.