Circulating Tumor DNA and Circulating Tumor Cells in Liquid Biopsy as Post-Treatment Prognostic Biomarkers in Early Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Einas M Yousef, Motaz Talaat Elghnam, Hiba Elhassan, Malak Hassan, Saifeldin Yousef, Hend Aabed, Noha Mitwally

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis

In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of molecular sciences, 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

–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Einas M YousefDepartment of Anatomy & Genetics, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-8935-0183

Motaz Talaat ElghnamDepartment of Anatomy & Genetics, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0001-8414-8090

Hiba ElhassanCollege of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.

Malak HassanCollege of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0004-9146-4085

Saifeldin YousefFaculty of Medicine, Badr University in Cairo, Cairo 11829, Egypt.

Hend AabedDepartment of Anatomic Pathology, Cairo University Hospitals, Cairo 11956, Egypt.ORCID 0009-0001-7226-2689

Noha MitwallyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-0866-0981

Funding

Alfaisal University

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite advances in systemic therapy, many early breast cancer patients experience recurrence due to subclinical minimal residual disease (MRD). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as promising liquid biopsy markers for post-treatment MRD detection. This pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO/PRISMA 2020) evaluated their comparative prognostic significance. Seven databases were searched from inception to March 2026. Eligible studies included early breast cancer patients undergoing post-treatment ctDNA or CTC assessment after neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, reporting survival outcomes with extractable hazard ratios. Quality was assessed using the QUIPS tool; random-effects meta-analyses used the REML estimator. Seventeen studies (thirteen ctDNA, four CTCs; n = 3030) were included. Post-treatment CTC positivity was significantly associated with poorer survival (pooled HR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.99-4.49; I

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsCirculating Tumor DNANeoplastic Cells, CirculatingFemaleHumansLiquid BiopsyNeoplasm, ResidualPrognosisBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAcirculating tumor cellscirculating tumor DNAearly breast cancerliquid biopsymeta-analysisminimal residual diseaseprognostic biomarkersystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42737612

DOI10.3390/ijms27177719

PMCPMC13565998

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.