ArticleThe Prostate2026
Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of cfDNA Concentration and Fragmentation in Prostate Cancer.
Article in The Prostate, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Liquid Biopsy in Advanced Prostate Cancer.Cancers · 2026Review
- Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of cfDNA Concentration and Fragmentation in Prostate Cancer.The Prostate · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the value of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) in prostate cancer (PCa) by cfDNA assay and analysis of plasma and urinary cfDNA fragmentation to determine the usefulness of this parameter for risk staging and tumor progression monitoring. MATERIALS AND
methodsA prospective, longitudinal study was conducted with 143 individuals, including a control group and a cohort of patients with PCa at different stages: localized, metastatic hormone-sensitive (mHSPC), and metastatic castration-resistant (mCRPC). Plasma and urine samples were collected to measure the concentration, fluorescence units (FU), and cfDNA fragmentation, correlating them with clinical and pathological variables.
resultsPlasma cfDNA levels were higher in patients with PCa than in control subjects (14.3 ng/mL vs. 4.2 ng/mL, p = 0.04) and even higher in metastatic disease than in localized (20.8 ng/mL vs. 3.6 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The fragmentation size of plasma cfDNA was smaller in metastatic PCa (168.7 base pairs) than in localized PCa (172.8 base pairs, p < 0.001), suggesting that shorter fragments are associated with more aggressive disease. Following systemic treatment, the patients decreased cfDNA levels (8.3 ng/mL vs. 4.9 ng/mL, p = 0.027) and plasma FU (35.2 vs. 12.9, p < 0.001). In urine, differences were only observed in patients who progressed to CRPC than in those who remained HSPC (261.8 ng/mL vs. 43.5 ng/mL, p = 0.046).
conclusionsThe assay and analysis of plasma and urinary cfDNA fragmentation may provide useful biomarkers for PCa diagnosis and follow-up, particularly when differentiating between localized and metastatic disease. These findings are promising, but further research is required to determine their potential utility in clinical risk stratification and treatment monitoring.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.