Circulating tumor DNA in blood can predict recurrence of the most common type of lymphoma

NIH | APRIL 7, 2015

Measurement of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood can be used to detect disease recurrence in patients with a curable form of cancer known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

In most patients, measurement of ctDNA enabled detection of microscopic disease before it could be seen on computerized tomography (CT) scans, which is the current standard for disease assessment.

NCI investigators analyzed serum from 126 patients with DLBCL for the presence of ctDNA.

Results of this study showed that, among the 107 patients who achieved complete remission, those who developed detectable ctDNA during surveillance were over 200 times more likely to have their disease progress than those who did not have detectable ctDNA.

The researchers also found that measuring ctDNA enabled the detection of cancer recurrence a median of 3.4 months before clinical evidence of disease. In addition, the ctDNA test was able to predict which patients would not respond to therapy as early as their second cycle of treatment, a strategy known as interim monitoring. “Interim ctDNA is therefore a promising biomarker to identify patients at high risk of not responding to treatment for their disease.

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