Treatment monitoring in metastatic colorectal cancer patients by quantification and KRAS genotyping of circulating cell-free DNA.

ABSTRACT: Treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) has continuously improved over the last decade. However, disease monitoring remains underdeveloped and mostly dependent on imaging e.g. RECIST 1.1 criteria. The genetic landscape of individual cancers and subsequently occurring treatment-induced evolution remain neglected in current surveillance strategies. Novel biomarkers demand minimally invasive and repetitive tracking of the cancer mutagenome for therapy stratification and to make prognostic predictions. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a routinely used tumor marker for CRC, does not meet these goals and thus prevents its use as a reliable monitoring tool. A tumor-derived fraction of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), isolated from blood samples, may bypass the limitations of currently av

SUBMITTER: Berger AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5362218 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature