Dr. Benson on the Clinical Utility of cfDNA in Colorectal Cancer

Al B. Benson, MD, professor of medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses the clinical utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in guiding treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Ongoing research is investigating the use of cfDNA in CRC, explains Benson. The presence of cfDNA in patients who have had complete resection of their tumor may indicate that the individual has a higher risk of recurrence. Therefore, researchers are looking to open a study that will randomize patients with stage II disease to chemotherapy. After receiving treatment, patients’ cfDNA will be analyzed to see whether the addition of chemotherapy to a patient’s course of treatment can reduce their risk of recurrence.

Moreover, cfDNA is being investigated in patients with metastatic CRC to see if there is a benefit with particular treatment strategies, concludes Benson.