What Role May ctDNA Have in Melanoma Management?
Source: CureToday, April 2025
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) negativity has been associated with prolonged response to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), researchers have found. While it is still too early for ctDNA to play a role in clinical practice, experts expressed enthusiasm for the future.
ctDNA, as explained by the National Cancer Institute, is a term used to refer to small pieces of DNA that are released into a patient’s blood by tumor cells.
Researchers published their findings in Nature Communications; they drew on data from 87 patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with ICIs and received a combined 321 liquid biopsies. ctDNA was detected in 76.9% of postsurgical patients with relapse (10 of 13 patients), and all nine patients without progression remained ctDNA negative.