Revolutionary ctDNA Test Predicts Lung Cancer Outcomes, Paving Way for Personalized Treatment
January 14, 2025
Research involving blood plasma samples from 171 individuals with early-stage lung cancer revealed that lower ctDNA levels before surgery were associated with reduced relapse rates and improved overall survival.
Marianne Baker from Cancer Research UK emphasized that the NeXT Personal test marks significant progress towards personalized medicine, enabling tailored treatments based on individual disease progression.
Charles Swanton, a senior author of the study, highlighted the challenges of treating lung cancer due to its high relapse rate, stressing the need to identify patients who might benefit from more aggressive treatment.
A collaborative team from the Francis Crick Institute, UCL, UCLH, and Personalis has developed a groundbreaking test that detects circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to predict outcomes in lung cancer patients, with support from a Cancer Research UK-funded study.
Typically, early-stage lung cancer treatment involves tumor removal through surgery, followed by chemotherapy or immunotherapy to enhance the chances of a cure.
The findings from this research were published in the journal Nature Medicine, indicating a step closer to personalized treatment approaches for lung cancer patients.
The NeXT Personal test demonstrates high sensitivity, allowing for accurate detection of ctDNA and preventing misclassification of patients who may have low levels of ctDNA.
James Black, a postdoctoral clinical fellow, noted that the presence of ctDNA in blood samples serves as a strong predictor of patient prognosis, potentially guiding treatment decisions.
The ongoing TRACERx EVO study is currently recruiting participants to further investigate lung cancer biology and validate the findings related to ctDNA.
Future assessments will focus on ctDNA presence in post-surgical patients to evaluate its potential in predicting relapse risk and guiding additional therapies.
Richard Chen from Personalis highlighted that the NeXT Personal platform aims for early detection of residual or recurrent cancer, which could lead to timely interventions and reduce unnecessary treatments.
Overall, the study suggests that sensitive ctDNA testing could significantly improve survival rates and quality of life by effectively guiding treatment decisions.
Summary based on 4 sources
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Sources

Express.co.uk • Jan 13, 2025
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Technology Networks • Jan 13, 2025
New ctDNA Test Predicts Lung Cancer Relapse Risk and Survival