Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40857204›Full record

ArticleMolecular oncology2025

Tumor-agnostic detection of circulating tumor DNA in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer using targeted DNA methylation sequencing and cell-free DNA fragmentomics.

Morten Lapin, Kjersti Tjensvoll, Karin Hestnes Edland, Satu Oltedal, Herish Garresori, Bjørnar Gilje, Saga Ekedal, Trygve Eftestøl, Jan Terje Kvaløy, Filip Janku and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Practical integration of ctDNA-defined minimal residual disease in gastrointestinal cancers: testing windows and evidence-aligned management frameworks.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. 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

11 authors.

Morten LapinDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-4183-0679
Kjersti TjensvollDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Karin Hestnes EdlandDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Satu OltedalDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Herish GarresoriDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Bjørnar GiljeDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Saga EkedalDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Trygve EftestølDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
Jan Terje KvaløyDepartment of Mathematics and Physics, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
Filip JankuDepartment of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Oddmund NordgårdDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-5847-6752

Funding

Folke Hermanson FoundationHelse VestKreftforeningen
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We investigated whether DNA methylation and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentation patterns can improve circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in advanced pancreatic cancer. In a cohort of 33 patients, ctDNA detection was performed in a tumor-agnostic fashion using DNA methylation, cfDNA fragment lengths, and 4-mer 5' end motifs. Machine learning models estimating ctDNA levels were built for each individual detection method and their combination. All models significantly differentiated ctDNA levels in patients from healthy individuals (P < 0.001). Using the highest estimated levels in healthy volunteers as cutoffs, ctDNA was detected in 79%, 67%, 67%, and 55% of patients using methylation, fragment length, end motifs, and the combined model, respectively. Univariable Cox regression showed that all ctDNA level estimates were associated with increased hazard ratios (HR, all P < 0.001) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariable Cox regression confirmed ctDNA levels as an independent predictor of PFS (HR = 1.9, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 2.7, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that machine learning models based on DNA methylation, cfDNA fragment lengths, and cfDNA end motifs can estimate ctDNA levels and predict clinical outcomes in advanced pancreatic cancer.

Indexed as

Circulating Tumor DNADNA MethylationPancreatic NeoplasmsSequence Analysis, DNAAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkers, TumorCell-Free Nucleic AcidsFemaleHumansMachine LearningMaleMiddle AgedBiomarkers, TumorCell-Free Nucleic AcidsCirculating Tumor DNAcfDNAcfDNA fragmentomicsctDNADNA methylationmachine learningpancreatic cancer

Identifiers

PMID40857204
PMCPMC12688167

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.