Circulating tumor DNA in gynecologic oncology: moving from the present into the future
Yifan Emily Chang, Yvonne G. LinPurpose of review
The use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers a promising, minimally invasive alternative to tissue biopsies for real-time surveillance in gynecologic cancers. This review provides an overview of ctDNA technology, its clinical interpretation and foundational applications in oncology, as well as its current uses in gynecologic cancers.
Recent findings
Selecting the appropriate ctDNA assay is critically important, as current platforms address distinct clinical questions by offering either deep genomic sequencing data (i.e. ultra-sensitive and deeply sequenced) or broad genomic information (i.e. thousands of biologically relevant genomic variants). Robust prospective data in other solid tumors are now emerging and may inform how ctDNA can be utilized in gynecologic cancers to inform tumor burden or track evolving tumor biology.
Summary
Thoroughly understanding the strengths and limitations of ctDNA usage in gynecologic cancer is imperative for accurate patient counseling and well-informed real-time therapeutic decision-making.