Towards Circulating-Tumor DNA-Based Precision Medicine.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Precision medicine relies on genomic information for targeted cancer therapies.
• Advances in sequencing technologies enable analysis of circulating-tumor DNAs (ctDNAs).
• ctDNAs provide molecular insights into individual tumors for treatment guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the clinical applications of ctDNAs in cancer management.
• To summarize studies on ctDNAs as predictive biomarkers for therapeutic response.
• To explore ctDNA's role in the metastatic setting.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent studies on ctDNA applications in oncology.
• Analysis of ctDNA for molecular characterization of tumors.
• Focus on ctDNA's utility in lung, breast, and colorectal cancers.

Main Results:

• ctDNA analysis facilitates early diagnosis, prognosis, and biomarker identification.
• ctDNAs are valuable for monitoring treatment response and clonal evolution.
• Evidence supports ctDNAs as predictive biomarkers for therapy adaptation.

Conclusions:

• ctDNAs are emerging as crucial tools in clinical oncology.
• ctDNA analysis offers a promising approach to address unmet clinical needs.
• ctDNAs are vital for guiding treatment decisions in precision oncology.