ctDNA offers early detection hope for cancer patients

Several studies presented at the 2024 ASCO® Annual Meeting provided further evidence that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can support early detection and treatment of cancer.

Among the stand-out studies was one presented by Dr Stephen Chia, Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He discussed results of a large ER+ advanced breast cancer study showing how ctDNA in the blood preceded radiological detection by a number of months in patients experiencing disease progression. Additionally, absence of ctDNA in the blood correlated with improved patient outcomes, suggesting that this can serve as an early indicator of treatment efficacy.

Dr Lillian Siu, who was being honored by ASCO with the David A. Karnofsky Award, also spoke of the importance of blood-based ctDNA testing in her acceptance lecture. Dr Siu is a Principal Investigator of NIP IT!, a monitoring study using a non-invasive AI-based platform to evaluate patients who have undergone curative treatment for cancer and are deemed to be high risk for recurrence. This program monitors the patients for detection of molecular residual disease, with the idea that earlier detection will lead to better outcomes.

At Inizio, our specialized services can ensure clinical trials are designed and optimized using the latest detection technologies, including ctDNA measures and AI-based monitoring platforms. Through a better understanding of how patients are responding to treatment and by detecting early disease recurrence or progression, our clients can enhance their ability to improve patient outcomes through the clinical development and commercialization of their product.

You can read more about our key insights from 2024 ASCO® Annual Meeting here.

By Nancy Sladicka, PhD, Chief Client Officer, Inizio Medical