Overcome of issues in introduction to medical practice of Circulating tumor DNA monitoring

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09224
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Endo Fumitaka 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (70714442)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 秋山 有史 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10405798) ; 西塚 哲 岩手医科大学, 医歯薬総合研究所, 特任教授 (50453311) ; 岩谷 岳 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70405801)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: circulating tumor DNA / digital PCR / 消化管癌 / バイオマーカー / 次世代シーケンサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In our previous study, we established tumor burden monitoring with ctDNA using next generation sequencer for mutation detection in primary tumors and digital PCR for ctDNA monitoring in blood samples. In this study, we demonstrated that frequent tumor burden monitoring using tumor-specific ctDNA analyzed by dPCR can offer timely treatment outcome information and provide potential opportunities for early intervention and selection of alternate, more effective relapse treatments during the treatment course of patients with esophageal cancer or colorectal cancer or gastric cancer. In addition, our results indicate that the high sensitivity of dPCR is a useful validation of relapse-free status.

Free Research Field

臨床腫瘍学、分子治療学、外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

食道癌、大腸癌、胃癌の治療において、dPCRを用いた症例特異的変異を対象としたctDNAモニタリングは、早期再発発見、無再発の確証、正確な治療効果判定、において臨床的妥当性を有する。10%程度の患者でctDNAの検出しにくい病態が存在するが、多数の症例で画像診断や腫瘍マーカーなど既存検査の診断精度を上回っており、ctDNA解析を中心としたがん診療が期待される。