On-treatment measurements of circulating tumor DNA during FOLFOX therapy in patients with colorectal cancer
Tina Moser, Julie Waldispuehl‐Geigl, Jelena Belic, Sabrina Weber, Qing Zhou, Samantha O. Hasenleithner, Ricarda Graf, Jasmin Alia Terzic, Florian Posch, Heinz Sill, Sigurd Lax, Karl Kashofer, Gerald Höefler, Helmut Schoellnast, Ellen Heitzer, Jochen B. Geigl, Thomas Bauernhofer, Michael R. Speicher
Abstract
We addressed a significant unknown feature of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), i.e., how ctDNA levels change during chemotherapy, by serially monitoring ctDNA in patients with colorectal cancer during the 48-h application of FOLFOX. Surprisingly, we did not observe a spike in ctDNA as a sign of a responsive tumor, but instead ctDNA levels initially decreased and remained low in patients with stable disease or partial response. Our observations reveal further insights into cell destruction during chemotherapy with important implications for the management of patients.