ReviewHealth science reports2026
Prognostic and Predictive Role of Circulating Tumor DNA in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Managed With Total Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Systematic Review.
Review in Health science reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Aims: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker of tumor burden and minimal residual disease. As total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) increasingly supports organ-preserving strategies in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), reliable markers of treatment response are needed. This review evaluates the prognostic and predictive value of ctDNA in this setting. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed studies across PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar evaluating ctDNA during or after TNT in LARC reporting treatment-response or survival outcomes. Results: Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Baseline ctDNA detection was near-universal (83-100%) but lacked discriminatory value. ctDNA declined progressively during TNT, with post-TNT negativity correlating with clinical or pathological complete response ( Conclusions: ctDNA clearance at the end of TNT may represent a biologically meaningful marker of treatment response and recurrence risk. However, current data derive from small, heterogeneous cohorts with variable assay platforms and sampling schedules, and ctDNA's limited sensitivity precludes its use as a standalone tool for non-operative management selection.
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Registered trials
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