Table 2.
Main Minimal Residual Disease assessment studies for circulating tumor DNA in gastro-intestinal cancers except colorectal.
| Reference | Type of Study |
Tumor Location |
Stage (TNM) |
MRD Assessment Method | Treatment | Number of pts with ctDNA + after treatment (%) |
RFS/DFS in ctDNA + after Treatment (months) | RFS/DFS in ctDNA-after Treatment (months) |
RFS/DFS in ctDNA-vs. + after Treatment HR; p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pietrasz et al. [44] | Prospective | Pancreas | Resectable | ddPCR and targeted NGS |
Surgery | 6/31 (19.4%) | 4.6 | 17 | HR: NA; p = 0.03 |
| Nakano et al. [108] | Retrospective | Pancreas | Resectable | Peptide nucleic acid-directed PCR clamping | Surgery +/− neoadjuvant chemotherapy | 20/45 (44.4%) | NA | NA | HR = 2.919; p = 0.027 |
| Groot et al. [109] | Prospective | Pancreas | Resectable/Borderline | ddPCR | Surgery +/− neoadjuvant chemotherapy | 11/41 (26.8%) | 5 | 15 | HR: NA; p < 0.001 |
| Maron et al. [63] | Retrospective | Gastric | Resectable | NGS | Surgery +/− neoadjuvant chemotherapy | 7/22 (31.8%) | 12.5 | NR | after surgery: HR = 0.1; p = 0.03 |
| Azad et al. [110] | Retrospective | Esophageal | Localized | Cancer personalized profile sequencing (CAPP-seq) | Chemoradiotherapy (+/− surgery) |
5/31 (16.1%) | NA | NA | HR = 18.7; p < 0.0001 |
| Wang et al. [111] | Prospective | Hepatocarcinoma | Resectable BCLC 0-C |
ddPCR | Surgery | 17/53 (32.1%)* | 7 | 20.8 | HR: NA; p < 0.001 |
| Cabel et al. [112] | Prospective | SCCA | Locally advanced-stages II-III | ddPCR | Exclusive chemoradiotherapy | 3/18 (17%) | NA | NA | HR: NA; p < 0.0001 |
* increased ctDNA mutant allele frequency postoperatively. CI: Confidence interval; ctDNA: circulating tumor DNA; ddPCR: digital droplet PCR; DFS: Disease free survival; HR: hazard ratio; MRD: Minimal residual disease; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; NA: Not available; NGS: New generation sequencing; NR: Not reached; RFS: Recurrence free survival; SCCA: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal; pts: patient.