Minimal Residual Disease in Colorectal Cancer: Are We Finding the Needle in a Haystack?

ABSTRACT: Despite significant advances in the surgical and systemic therapy of colorectal cancer (CRC) in recent decades, recurrence rates remain high. Apart from microsatellite instability status, the decision to offer adjuvant chemotherapy to patients with CRC is solely based on clinicopathologic factors, which offer an inaccurate risk stratification of patients who derive benefit from adjuvant therapy. Owing to the recent improvements of molecular techniques, it has been possible to detect small allelic fractions of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and therefore, to identify patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) after curative-intent therapies. The incorporation of ctDNA identifying MRD in clinical practice may dramatically change the standard of care of CRC, refining the selection of patien

SUBMITTER: Jacome AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10092948 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature