Dr. Kopetz on the Utilization of ctDNA in CRC

Edmund Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD, FACP, professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the utilization of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in colorectal cancer (CRC).

There is an opportunity to use ctDNA to identify settings where novel therapies can be deployed for patients with CRC, Kopetz says. This patient population requires help since surgery and adjuvant therapy have not always been sufficient to cure patients of their disease, Kopetz adds.

Additionally, ctDNA represents a potential seismic shift in how clinicians approach CRC and identify patients who need additional therapies, Kopetz continues. The use of novel therapies, immunotherapies, and anti-body drug conjugates may provide an opportunity to cure patients before radiographic recurrence, Kopetz concludes.