SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2025
Circulating tumor DNA predicts prognosis at different time points in patients with esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Circulating tumor DNA and prognosis in gastric cancer patients undergoing surgery: meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Circulating Tumor DNA for Minimal Residual Disease Detection and Recurrence Prediction in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Treatment strategies for postoperative locoregional recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after curative resection: a narrative review.Esophagus : official journal of the Japan Esophageal Society · 2026Review
- Non-Operative Management of Esophageal Cancer with Complete Clinical Response After Neoadjuvant Therapy: Current Status and Future Directions.Journal of personalized medicine · 2026Review
- Assessment of methylated BCAT1 and IKZF1 circulating tumor DNA as a prognostic biomarker in esophagogastric adenocarcinomas.Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · 2026Article
- Circulating tumor DNA dynamics predict pathological response and guide therapy personalization in the neoadjuvant setting.Discover oncology · 2026Review
- Clonal evolution in gastrointestinal cancers: multi-omics insights into tumor heterogeneity, microenvironmental selection, and translational biomarkers.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- ctDNA in the Management of Resectable & Advanced Colorectal Cancer: Current Status and Future Directions.OncoTargets and therapy · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), as a liquid biopsy biomarker, is undergoing extensive evaluation for its clinical utility across multiple tumor management scenarios. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of ctDNA in esophageal cancer (EC) patients at different treatment time points through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and methods: A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from construction to October 2024 was conducted, and studies investigating the association between ctDNA and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in EC patients were screened for inclusion. Primary outcomes included PFS/OS by ctDNA status at different time points (baseline, after neoadjuvant therapy, and during follow-up). Risk ratios (HRs) for PFS/OS with positive ctDNA tests at various time points were combined, and subgroup analyses were conducted for tumor-informed and non-tumor-informed testing of ctDNA. Results: A total of 22 studies involving 1519 patients were finally included in this meta-analysis. In univariate analyses, detection of ctDNA was associated with poorer PFS at baseline (HR = 1.64, 95% CI:1.30-2.07), after neoadjuvant therapy (HR = 3.97, 95% CI: 2.68-5.88) and during follow-up (HR = 5.42, 95% CI:3.97-7.38). Similarly, detection of ctDNA at all time points was associated with poorer OS (at baseline: HR = 2.02, 95% CI:1.36-2.99; after neoadjuvant therapy: HR = 3.41, 95% CI: 2.08-5.59; and during follow-up: HR = 4.93, 95% CI:3.31-7.34). Similar PFS and OS outcomes were observed in multivariate analyses. The uni- and multivariate combined HRs for PFS/OS with ctDNA detected at different time points were numerically related as: baseline < after neoadjuvant therapy < during follow-up(PFS:1.90→4.07→5.22; OS:2.39→3.15→5.37). When ctDNA was detected in combined tumor-informed assays at baseline and after neoadjuvant therapy, most HRs for recurrence and mortality risk showed a trend toward higher values compared with non-tumor-informed assays. ctDNA test positivity predicted clinical recurrence an average of 4.53 months earlier (range: 0.98-11.6 months) than conventional radiological imaging techniques. Conclusions: Positive ctDNA testing was associated with poorer prognosis throughout the treatment period of EC patients, and the prognostic value of monitoring ctDNA status increased with time from baseline to follow-up. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024612909, identifier CRD42024612909.
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