The role of circulating tumor DNA in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal cancers of the female reproductive system, with the highest mortality rate among the four major gynecological malignancies. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), as an emerging biomarker, has shown great potential in early screening, minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring, disease recurrence prediction, and personalized treatment of OC This article reviews the application of ctDNA in OC, exploring its role in early diagnosis, MRD monitoring, recurrence prediction, and personalized therapy. The review also summarizes the current technical challenges and future research directions. Compared to traditional tumor markers, ctDNA offers higher sensitivity and specificity, particularly in detecting early tumors and predicting treatment responses. Although ctDNA holds enormous potential for clinical applications, challenges remain in early-stage detection sensitivity and standardization of detection methods. Future research should focus on optimizing ctDNA detection techniques and integrating it with other biomarkers to promote its broader clinical use.