ctDNA Minimal Residual Disease Emerges as a Transformative Biomarker for Predicting Solid Tumour Relapse
This Cancer Discovery review synthesises growing evidence that circulating tumour DNA can detect minimal residual disease after definitive treatment for solid cancers, predicting relapse with high accuracy. The authors discuss how assay type, ctDNA release kinetics and biological background noise affect MRD results, and outline the path toward using ctDNA MRD for personalised adjuvant therapy decisions. The review highlights both the promise and the remaining clinical utility gaps for this biomarker.
The original study
Detecting Liquid Remnants of Solid Tumors: Circulating Tumor DNA Minimal Residual Disease.
- Authors
- Moding EJ, Nabet BY, Alizadeh AA, Diehn M
- Journal
- Cancer discovery
- Type
- Journal Article, Review, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- PMID
- 34785539
Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Growing evidence demonstrates that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) minimal residual disease (MRD) following treatment for solid tumors predicts relapse. These results suggest that ctDNA MRD could identify candidates for adjuvant therapy and measure response to such treatment. Importantly, factors such as assay type, amount of ctDNA release, and technical and biological background can affect ctDNA MRD results. Furthermore, the clinical utility of ctDNA MRD for treatment personalization remains to be fully established. Here, we review the evidence supporting the value of ctDNA MRD in solid cancers and highlight key considerations in the application of this potentially transformative biomarker. SIGNIFICANCE: ctDNA analysis enables detection of MRD and predicts relapse after definitive treatment for solid cancers, thereby promising to revolutionize personalization of adjuvant and consolidation therapies.