The Prognostic Importance of ctDNA in Rectal Cancer: A Critical Reappraisal

The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has evolved during the last decades, but recurrence remains a problem. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may result in an individualized treatment approach with improved survival and quality of life, but diverging results impede further development....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancers 2022-04, Vol.14 (9), p.2252
Main Authors: Dizdarevic, Edina, Hansen, Torben Frøstrup, Jakobsen, Anders
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Cancer
Cancer therapies
Chemotherapy
Colorectal cancer
Medical prognosis
Metastasis
Mutation
Quality of life
Rectum
Review
Standardization
Statistical analysis
Surgery
Survival
Tumors
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Summary:The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has evolved during the last decades, but recurrence remains a problem. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may result in an individualized treatment approach with improved survival and quality of life, but diverging results impede further development. In this systematic review, we addressed the quality of reporting and its impact on the interpretation of ctDNA results. We performed a systematic literature search using subject headings and search terms related to ctDNA and rectal cancer. The Quality of Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool was used to assess bias. Nine studies, with substantial heterogeneity, were included in the analysis. Three out of nine articles had moderate or high risk of bias. No association was found between treatment response and ctDNA status at baseline. There was a negative association between ctDNA positivity at baseline, before and after surgery and survival. The ctDNA status may be of importance to the long-term prognosis, but the area of research is new and is short of dedicated studies. There is an obvious need for standardization in ctDNA research, and the issue should be addressed in future research.
ISSN:2072-6694
2072-6694
DOI:10.3390/cancers14092252