Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41928167›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2026

Longitudinal tumor-informed ctDNA monitoring for recurrence and treatment response in melanoma.

Olivia Sleeper, Justin Fortino, Nam Woo Cho, Adil I Daud, Katy K Tsai, James C Lee, Michael Alvarado, Ajay V Maker, Lauren Liu, Christine Kim and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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.

Olivia SleeperDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 1825 Fourth St. First Floor, Room L1101, San Francisco, CA, 94158 , USA.
Justin FortinoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 1825 Fourth St. First Floor, Room L1101, San Francisco, CA, 94158 , USA.
Nam Woo ChoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 1825 Fourth St. First Floor, Room L1101, San Francisco, CA, 94158 , USA.
Adil I DaudDepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Katy K TsaiDepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
James C LeeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 1825 Fourth St. First Floor, Room L1101, San Francisco, CA, 94158 , USA.
Michael AlvaradoDepartment of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Ajay V MakerDepartment of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Lauren LiuUCSF Health, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Christine KimUCSF Health, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Jason W ChanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 1825 Fourth St. First Floor, Room L1101, San Francisco, CA, 94158 , USA. Jason.w.chan@ucsf.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEarly detection of melanoma recurrence and progression remains a clinical challenge, which relies on physical examination and imaging. Circulating tumor DNA offers a noninvasive, dynamic biomarker that may identify molecular recurrence before clinical progression. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive value of longitudinal, tumor-informed ctDNA testing across multiple melanoma care settings.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 56 consecutive melanoma patients who underwent serial ctDNA testing using a tumor-informed assay (Signatera™) at a single institution. Fifty-six patients with evaluable ctDNA results were stratified into three cohorts based on the treatment context at the time of ctDNA testing: (A) no active treatment (n = 20), (B) adjuvant therapy (n = 14), and (C) active treatment for known disease (n = 22). We evaluated disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and longitudinal ctDNA dynamics in relation to clinical outcomes.

resultsMedian clinical follow-up was 48.0 (IQR 24.7–94.1) months. In Cohorts A and B (HR 12.3, 95% CI 1.1–1138.6), detectable ctDNA at any timepoint was significantly associated with inferior DFS. Conversely, 90% of patients in Cohorts A and B combined with undetectable ctDNA remained recurrence-free. In Cohort C, rising or persistently positive ctDNA was seen in 81.8% of patients who progressed. Longitudinal ctDNA trends were more informative than isolated timepoints, with increases preceding radiologic progression by a median of 11.4 (IQR 5.0–13.1) months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Tumor-informed ctDNA testing offers clinically meaningful insight across melanoma care settings. Rising or positive ctDNA frequently anticipates disease progression, supporting its use for MRD surveillance and treatment response monitoring in dermatology and oncology practice.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAMelanomaNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalSkin NeoplasmsAgedDisease-Free SurvivalDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNActDNAMelanomaMinimal residual disease

Identifiers

PMID41928167
PMCPMC13188477

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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.