FIG 3.

Kaplan-Meier curves for (A) PFS and (B) OS according to ctDNA detection after neoadjuvant treatment and Kaplan-Meier curves for (C) PFS and (D) OS by clinical response assessed on CT scans (landmark approach). Among patients who had undetectable ctDNA after neoadjuvant treatment,¹⁷ five were diagnosed as having progression disease. All of these patients (n = 5) underwent surgery. Regarding pathology assessments, two of them were diagnosed as having pCR, one as having major pathologic response and two were diagnosed as incomplete pathologic response. One of the patients showing undetectable ctDNA after treatment but incomplete pathologic response died, representing the unique death event among patients with undetectable ctDNA after treatment. Among patients with ctDNA detection after treatment (n = 13), two patients did not undergo surgery, three patients showed an incomplete pathologic response, one patient showed a major pathologic response, and seven patients had pCR. Of these, two patients showed progressive disease despite having pCR. CR, complete response; CT, computed tomography; ctDNA, circulating tumor DNA; HR, hazard ratio; OS, overall survival; pCR, pathologic complete response; PFS, progression-free survival; PR, partial response; ref, reference category; SD, stable disease.