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Feasibility and predictive value of minimally invasive circulating tumor DNA analyses in patients with hepatic metastatic colorectal carcinoma

Patients with liver metastases are sometimes eligible for surgery to remove the metastases. Some patients receive additional chemotherapy before or after surgery. The patient is followed for 5 years after the operation, in which  recurrence of disease is checked several times a year. The current standard is checks with imaging (including CT scans) and blood tests (CEA determination). Unfortunately, the CEA determination is not useful for everyone and very small tumor remnants / metastases cannot always be seen on imaging.

This study investigates whether circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood is representative of disease in the body, which has only spread to the liver. We look at the amount of ctDNA before and after liver surgery, but also during the follow-up and during any follow-up treatments. These measurements are compared with the results of the imaging and CEA determinations. If ctDNA is more accurate in detecting residual disease or recurrence of disease, it can be used in the future for therapy choices, such as starting and/or switching therapy on time.

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