ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2024
Dynamics of cell-free tumor DNA correlate with early MRI response during chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.
Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Weekly measurement of HMGB1 during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer patients: correlations with MRI response and ctDNA.Radiology and oncology · 2026Article
- Integrating CT-Based Radiomics Analysis With Serum CEA Level to Predict Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Response in Colorectal Cancer.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Tumor sequencing before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: Genetic tumor characterization and clinical outcome.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2025Article
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12 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundIn locally advanced rectal cancer, the prediction of tumor response during and after neoadjuvant treatment remains challenging. In terms of organ preservation, adaptive radiotherapy, and intensified (total) neoadjuvant therapies, biomarkers are desirable for patient stratification.
methodsIn 16 patients, weekly blood samples (n = 86) to detect cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) during long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were analyzed. Data were correlated with initial tumor volumes, MRI response in week 2 and 5 of radiotherapy as well as with pathologic tumor response after resection and outcome parameters.
resultsMost patients showed decreasing ctDNA during the course of radiochemotherapy. However, we found heterogenous dynamics of ctDNA and could identify three groups: (1) decline (2) no clear decline and/or late shedding (3) persistence of ctDNA. In seven patients we could detect significant amounts of ctDNA in week 5 or week 6 of treatment. In our pilot cohort, we did not find significant correlations of ctDNA dynamics with pathologic response or outcome parameters. However, patients with distinct decline of ctDNA had larger tumor volumes prior to treatment, and MRI imaging in week 2 and 5 revealed bigger absolute decrease of tumor volumes. If significant levels of ctDNA were found in week 5 and / or 6, patients showed less absolute tumor volume decrease in week 2 and 5.
conclusionsWeekly measurement of ctDNA during radiochemotherapy is feasible and might represent a promising biomarker. Bigger initial primary tumors showed different ctDNA shedding profiles compared with smaller primary tumors and correlations of ctDNA dynamics with early imaging response were found.
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