ctDNA monitoring using tumor-informed copy number analysis.
Ze Zhou, Ros Cutts, Sarah Hrebien, Christina X Zhang, Isaac Garcia-Murillas, Woody Z Zhang, Alexander M Frankell, Wendy N Cooper, Amit Roshan, Nicholas C Turner and 3 more
Article in EMBO molecular medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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.
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.
Ze ZhouCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0009-0002-4522-182X
Ros CuttsBreast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Sarah HrebienBreast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Christina X ZhangCancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Isaac Garcia-MurillasBreast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Woody Z ZhangEarly Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Alexander M FrankellEarly Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Wendy N CooperCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3416-9982
Amit RoshanCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2034-2759
Nicholas C TurnerBreast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Tommy KaplanCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1892-5461
Nitzan RosenfeldCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. n.rosenfeld@qmul.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-2825-4788
Hui ZhaoCentre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. huizhao@qmul.ac.uk.ORCID 0009-0009-2818-2911
Funding
Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre CTR-Q5-Y3cambridgeuniversity | Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge (CRUK CI) C9685/A25177cambridgeuniversity | Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge (CRUK CI) CTRQQR- 2021\100012Cancer Research UK (CRUK) C507/A27657,C9545/A29580,SEBINT-2024/100003,C1287/A26886,EDDRPG-May24/100002 & C36857/A27548CRUK City of London Major Centre Awards C7893/A26233 and CTRQQR-2021\100004CRUK-Royal College of Surgeons of England Clinician Scientist Fellowship C64667/A27958CUH | Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals (ACT) ACT 9800Mark Foundation For Cancer Research (MFCR) RG95043NIHR | NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Cambridge BRC) BRC-1215-20014NIHR | NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Cambridge BRC) NIHR203312
6 · The paper itself
Abstract
Methods to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) enable minimally invasive responsive monitoring of cancer dynamics. However, sensitive and cost-effective methods are still lacking. Current methods for detecting cancer signals in shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS) data from cell-free DNA (cfDNA) via copy number aberration (CNA) analysis typically have a limit of detection of approximately 3% tumor fraction (TF). We developed informCNA, a bioinformatics method that leverages CNA information from sWGS of tumor or pre-treatment plasma samples with high TF as references, enabling ctDNA detection down to 0.2% TF across multiple cancer types. In 177 serial plasma samples from 18 patients with ovarian cancer, informCNA showed high concordance with the standard serum protein marker CA-125 and identified recurrence a median of 3.7 months earlier than CA-125 test. These results demonstrate the potential of personalized CNA analysis through sWGS for estimating ctDNA burden, enabling precise and cost-effective disease monitoring and early detection of relapse.
Indexed as
Biomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAComputational BiologyDNA Copy Number VariationsOvarian NeoplasmsFemaleHumansWhole Genome SequencingBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAcfDNACopy Number Aberration (CNA)ctDNALiquid BiopsyTumor-informed
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.
ctDNA monitoring using tumor-informed copy number analysis. · full record | OpenQuestion