Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41580469›Full record

ArticleNPJ precision oncology2026

Ultrasensitive ctDNA monitoring reveals early predictors of immunotherapy response in advanced cancer.

Daisuke Nishizaki, Allison Law, Bailiang Li, Charles Abbott, Yi Chen, Suzanna Lee, Rachel Pyke, Kathleen Keough, Gregory A Daniels, Kay T Yeung and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ precision oncology, 2026. 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. NETest2.0Cancers · 2026
    Article
  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

13 authors.

Daisuke Nishizaki *Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA. dnishizaki@health.ucsd.edu.
Allison Law *Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Bailiang Li *Personalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Charles Abbott *Personalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Yi Chen *Personalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Suzanna LeeCenter for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Rachel PykePersonalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Kathleen KeoughPersonalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Gregory A DanielsCenter for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Kay T YeungCenter for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Sean M BoylePersonalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Richard O ChenPersonalis Inc, Fremont, CA, USA.
Shumei KatoCenter for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA. smkato@health.ucsd.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based response assessment is appealing but limited by conventional analytical thresholds. We utilized a whole genome sequencing based, tumor-informed ultrasensitive ctDNA assay which tracked ~1800 somatic mutations to analyze 227 longitudinal plasma samples from 39 patients with advanced/metastatic cancers receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ctDNA was detected from 2.0-239,315 PPM (median limit of detection: 1.77 PPM), with 33% of positive detections below 100 PPM. Early molecular response, defined as >50% ctDNA reduction or sustained ctDNA negativity from baseline to first follow-up, strongly predicted improved progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.39, p = 0.001) and was independently prognostic of PFS. Molecular complete response (mCR), defined as any ctDNA clearance, predicted overall survival and PFS, with 1-year PFS of 87% in mCR patients versus 16% in non-mCR patients (HR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04-0.50, p = 0.003). The high-sensitivity ctDNA monitoring may enable precise, real-time evaluation of ICI response to guide clinical decision-making.

Identifiers

PMID41580469
PMCPMC12936199

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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.