Dr. Basu-Mallick on Ongoing Research With ctDNA in CRC

Atrayee Basu-Mallick, MD, a medical oncologist at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and clinical assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

In the future, the escalation or de-escalation of care could be based on ctDNA, as it appears to be a reliable prognostic biomarker, Basu-Mallick says. Additionally, ctDNA could help to examine new agents in this patient population by achieving quicker end points in clinical trials, Basu-Mallick notes.

Currently, the ongoing phase 2/3 NRG-GI005 or COBRA trial (NCT04068103) is examining treatment escalation based on ctDNA for patients with stage IIA disease who are not eligible for adjuvant therapy, Basu-Mallick explains. Additionally, the ongoing NRG-GI008 trial (NCT04120701) will enroll low-risk patients with stage III disease and evaluate both therapy escalation for those who are ctDNA positive, and de-escalation for those who are ctDNA negative, Basu-Mallick concludes.