A brand new analysis paper was revealed in Oncotarget’s Quantity 16 on January 21, 2025, titled “Evaluation of cfDNA launch dynamics throughout colorectal most cancers surgical procedure.”
Researchers from the College of Brasília investigated how cell-free DNA (cfDNA) ranges within the blood change earlier than, throughout, and after colorectal most cancers surgical procedure. The examine discovered that cfDNA ranges improve considerably throughout and after surgical procedure. The findings counsel that cfDNA might assist clinicians consider surgical procedure effectiveness and monitor affected person outcomes.
cfDNA consists of small DNA fragments launched into the bloodstream when cells die and break aside. In wholesome people, cfDNA often comes from regular cell turnover, whereas in most cancers sufferers, a few of it originates from tumor cells. Measuring cfDNA ranges affords precious insights right into a affected person’s situation and is already getting used to trace illness development and remedy response in cancers reminiscent of lung, breast, and colorectal most cancers.
Colorectal most cancers is among the commonest cancers worldwide, affecting tens of millions of individuals annually. Surgical procedure is usually the first remedy, however as much as 50% of sufferers expertise most cancers recurrence afterward. On this examine, the analysis workforce, led by first writer Mailson Alves Lopes and corresponding writer Fabio Pittella-Silva, analyzed blood samples from 30 sufferers at three key time factors: earlier than, throughout, and after surgical procedure.
It was discovered that cfDNA ranges elevated practically threefold throughout surgical procedure and doubled after surgical procedure in comparison with pre-surgery ranges. The will increase had been even increased in people over 60, these with preexisting circumstances reminiscent of diabetes or coronary heart illness, and sufferers with elevated ranges of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a typical most cancers marker. Sufferers with the very best cfDNA ranges had been these with bigger or extra aggressive tumors, probably resulting from larger tissue injury throughout surgical procedure. Moreover, longer surgical procedures had been linked to increased cfDNA ranges.
“[…]we noticed that cfDNA focus might rise in correlation with the period of the surgical procedure, highlighting its potential as a marker of surgical high quality.”
These findings counsel that cfDNA could possibly be a precious, non-invasive biomarker for clinicians to observe colorectal most cancers sufferers. Monitoring cfDNA ranges might assist higher consider surgical outcomes and decide whether or not sufferers require nearer follow-up care.
Whereas these findings are promising, additional analysis is required to standardize cfDNA testing and validate its usefulness. Bigger research might assist set up cfDNA testing as a dependable instrument for most cancers care and postoperative monitoring, with the potential to turn out to be a routine a part of scientific observe sooner or later.
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Journal reference:
Lopes, M. A., et al. (2025). Evaluation of cfDNA launch dynamics throughout colorectal most cancers surgical procedure. Oncotarget. doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28681.
