Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39930781›Full record

ArticleActa oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)2025

Circulating tumor DNA for surveillance in high-risk melanoma patients: a study protocol.

Magnús P B Obinah, Sarah A Al-Halafi, Karin Dreisig, Tim S Poulsen, Christoffer Johansen, Thomas Litman, Stig E Bojesen, Estrid Høgdall, Annette H Chakera, Lisbet R Hölmich

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Magnús P B ObinahDept. of Plastic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark. magnus.petur.bjarnason.obinah.02@regionh.dk.ORCID 0000-0002-4817-9834
Sarah A Al-HalafiDept. of Plastic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark.
Karin DreisigDept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark.
Tim S PoulsenMolecular Unit, Dept. of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-9781-0541
Christoffer JohansenCenter for Cancer Late Effect Research CASTLE, Dept. of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4384-206X
Thomas LitmanDept. of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-6068-901X
Stig E BojesenDept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4061-4133
Estrid HøgdallMolecular Unit, Dept. of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-4689-5658
Annette H ChakeraAgata Private Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-3859-0814
Lisbet R HölmichDept. of Plastic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-1983-5222

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeMelanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers and challenges clinicians worldwide due to rising incidence, potential aggressiveness, and propensity for metastasis, necessitating comprehensive follow-up programs after primary treatment. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker that may indicate disease progression earlier than traditional surveillance methods, including 18F-FDG PET-CT, ultrasound, and clinical examination. This study examines ctDNA detection in blood as a minimally invasive method for early identification of progression following primary treatment of melanoma. The aim is to overcome the limitations of current methods, potentially improving prognosis and survival. PATIENTS/MATERIAL AND

methodsPatients with high risk of recurrence following primary treatment of melanoma are offered inclusion. Blood sampling is performed at each follow-up visit. In case of recurrence, patient-specific mutations are identified through next-generation sequencing (NGS) of formalin and paraffin embedded tissue from diagnostic routine. Detection of mutation-specific ctDNA is performed on blood using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) or NGS. This allows determination of the value and sensitivity of ctDNA for early detection of recurrence. RESULTS AND

interpretationFor validation purposes, we conducted a small pilot study using blood samples from 10 patients who had experienced recurrence and had a clinically confirmed BRAF V600E mutation. Detection of BRAF V600E ctDNA using ddPCR varied from 0/5 (0%) in DNA harvested from 4 mL plasma, to 3/5 (60%) in DNA from 8 mL of plasma. These results show promise and highlight the importance of high sensitivity and sampling volumes to ensure accurate detection of low levels of ctDNA.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAMelanomaNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalSkin NeoplasmsAgedDisease ProgressionFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMiddle AgedMutationPilot ProjectsPrognosisBiomarkers, TumorBRAF protein, humanCirculating Tumor DNAProto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf

Identifiers

PMID39930781
PMCPMC11833324

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.