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Circulating Tumor DNA Before Surgery Predicts Recurrence After Liver Metastasis Resection — Clinical Cancer Research
Researchers analyzed blood samples from 116 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver who underwent surgery after chemotherapy. They measured circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)—fragments of cancer DNA in the bloodstream—both before and after surgery. Patients with detectable ctDNA before surgery had significantly worse outcomes, even if ctDNA cleared after the operation. This suggests pre-surgery ctDNA status provides important prognostic information beyond post-surgery testing alone.
What this means
If you're being considered for liver surgery after chemotherapy, ctDNA testing before the operation may help your care team assess your risk of recurrence and plan follow-up monitoring. This blood test could eventually guide decisions about additional treatment after surgery.