Clinical Research Directory

A Phase 2 Trial of Fruquintinib and Tislelizumab in ctDNA-defined Minimal Residual Disease in Colorectal Cancer After Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy

To find out if a combination of fruquintinib and tislelizumab can control CRC in patients who have received treatment for the disease but still have "positive" ctDNA tests for MRD (meaning there is evidence of MRD based on this test).

Dynamic ctDNA-Guided Adjuvant Therapy in cStage III and IVA Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma

This is a single-center, prospective, exploratory study evaluating the use of dynamic circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in the postoperative adjuvant treatment setting for patients with stage III or stage IVA gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. After curative-intent surgery, patients remain at risk of disease recurrence. Postoperative treatment decisions are currently based on clinicopathological factors, which may not fully reflect minimal residual disease. ctDNA is a blood-based biomarker that can detect tumor-derived DNA fragments and may provide additional information on recurrence risk. In this study, ctDNA will be assessed at predefined perioperative and postoperative time points using peripheral blood samples. The primary objective is to evaluate 1-year disease-free survival. Secondary objectives include survival outcomes, safety, and longitudinal changes in ctDNA status. The findings of this exploratory study may inform future research on ctDNA-guided postoperative management in gastric cancer.

A Multicenter Prospective Study Evaluating Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Following Induction Immunochemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer Based on Dynamic ctDNA Monitoring

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) continues to exhibit high incidence and mortality rates in China, with the majority of patients diagnosed at middle to advanced stages. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the standard treatment for unresectable locally advanced ESCC. The 5-year survival rate for advanced esophageal cancer remains below 20%. Immunotherapy has demonstrated definitive efficacy and a favorable toxicity profile in advanced ESCC, and preliminary results of its combination with radiotherapy have been reported. Induction immunochemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy represents a feasible combined treatment strategy. However, optimal biomarkers to identify patients who would benefit from this approach are still lacking. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) status can accurately guide treatment implementation and predict tumor progression. Studies have shown that ctDNA changes precede imaging evidence of recurrence or metastasis, and ctDNA detection can sensitively predict tumor progression and prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically monitor ctDNA changes throughout the course of induction immunochemotherapy followed by radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy in esophageal cancer and explore its correlation with prognosis.

Molecular Surveillance In Early Breast Cancer Using The Tumor-Informed ctDNA Assay Myriad Genetics Precise MRD Test; A Prospective Observational Multicenter Study (The MRD Molecular Surveillance Study)

To learn about changes in ctDNA during the diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment surveillance of EBC.

Early Detection of Metastatic Recurrence Among Patients With Stage II or III Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Liquid Biopsy and Imaging

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of breast cancer, often with poor outcomes. Currently, follow-up for TNBC consists of physical exams and annual breast imaging, with additional scans only if symptoms appear. This approach may delay the detection of the cancer coming back until the disease is advanced. A promising new technique is the detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-in the blood. Studies suggest ctDNA may identify cancer recurrence months before it becomes visible on scans or causes symptoms. However, it is unknown whether detecting recurrence earlier can actually help patients live longer or feel better. The EINSTEIN-TNBC trial is a study aiming to evaluate the feasibility of ctDNA-guided surveillance for patients with TNBC after surgery. Thirty participants will be randomized to either: Standard of care (routine physical exams and annual breast imaging), or Active surveillance (standard of care plus ctDNA testing, with imaging investigations if ctDNA is detected). This study will assess the feasibility of conducting a ctDNA-based monitoring trial in this patient population. If feasible, EINSTEIN-TNBC will lay the foundation for a larger future clinical trial to determine whether earlier detection of metastatic TNBC can improve survival and quality of life.

ctDNA-guided Treatment Decision-making

This is an exploratory, ctDNA-guided, multi-stage clinical study designed to evaluate the clinical value of treatment decision-making based on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) variant allele frequency (VAF) dynamics in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. All enrolled patients will receive antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy for two cycles in Stage 1, with serial ctDNA assessments performed prior to Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. In Stage 2, patients without disease progression will be assigned to different treatment strategies based on the percentage reduction in mean ctDNA VAF. The study aims to assess whether ctDNA VAF dynamics can serve as an early biomarker to guide treatment intensification and improve clinical outcomes in metastatic breast cancer.

Based on ctDNA-MRD Guided Adjuvant Treatment Escalation After Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Unresectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a Study on Safety and Efficacy

Numerous studies have confirmed that ctDNA-MRD detection technology based on peripheral blood can identify minimal residual disease (MRD) following surgery and other curative treatments, indicating a higher risk of recurrence. Multiple exploratory studies in esophageal cancer have demonstrated that patients who are ctDNA-MRD positive after definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) exhibit poorer progression-free survival (PFS) and a higher risk of recurrence. Furthermore, the recent NEXUS-1 translational study confirmed that 66.7% of unresectable patients achieved the goal of conversion surgery after receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy. Notably, patients who were ctDNA-MRD positive after chemoradiotherapy had a significantly worse prognosis. These findings suggest that ctDNA-MRD status after chemoradiotherapy has prognostic stratification value and that consolidative immunotherapy is effective. Based on these previous discoveries, this study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of an escalated treatment strategy involving immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for high-risk populations after definitive chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer, guided by personalized MRD detection results.

A Study of Tumor-Agnostic MRD Detection in Stage III Colorectal Cancer

This observational study aims to evaluate the predictive performance of various omics-based methods for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) in stage III colorectal cancer. The study involves the collection of blood samples from patients who have accepted surgery for colorectal cancer. Blood samples will be analyzed using both tumor-informed and tumor-agnostic approaches to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The study will compare the sensitivity of these methods and assess their correlation with recurrence risk. The findings aim to inform the development of optimal MRD detection strategies, ultimately providing a robust molecular basis for personalized treatment decisions.

A Cell-free DNA Methylation Blood-Based Test for Biliary Tract Cancers Screening

Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC), including gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, ranks sixth in incidence among gastrointestinal malignancies and tenth in cancer-related mortality worldwide. Due to the lack of specific early symptoms, high malignancy, and frequent recurrence and metastasis, the rate of curative resection is only about 16.5%, and the overall 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. Early and accurate detection is therefore critical for improving patient outcomes. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), a fraction of circulating free DNA (cfDNA), carries genetic and epigenetic information from tumor cells and can be detected even at the early stages of cancer development. Among various liquid biopsy biomarkers, ctDNA methylation shows particular advantages in sensitivity and specificity for early cancer detection and monitoring. This study aims to evaluate the application of cfDNA methylation liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and management of BTC.

Monitoring Minimal Residual Disease in Gastric Cancer by Liquid Biopsy Study Description

This study aims to evaluate the use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to detect circulating tumor DNA in gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy

SMC Radiation Oncology SABR Cohort for Oligometastasis

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SABR) in patients with oligometastatic or oligoprogressive cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. oncologic outcomes (progression-free survival, local failure rate), 2. patient-reported outcomes, 3. physician-assessed toxicity, and 4. dynamics of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for biomarker analysis.

French Assessment of MRD by Liquid Biopsies in PDAC Patients (FRENCH.MRD.PDAC)

The overall objective of this GUIDE.MRD consortium is to confirm that ctDNA detected after curative intended treatment for PDAC is a marker of residual disease and for risk-of-recurrence, and applicable in clinical practice. Primary objective To confirm that ctDNA analyses performed after PDAC treatment can identify patients with a high risk-of-recurrence. Specifically, the investigators want to determine the association between disease-free survival (DFS) and ctDNA detection status after 1. curative-intended surgery and 2. adjuvant chemotherapy. FRENCH.MRD.PDAC is the French study of the european GUIDE.MRD project

Prognostic Study of Via Dynamic Change of dT-DNA in Drainage Fluid After Radical Prostatectomy

This study investigates the prognostic value of dynamic changes in Drainage Tumor DNA(dT-DNA) levels found in the peritoneal drainage fluid after radical prostatectomy. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, and radical prostatectomy is a standard treatment. While PSA levels in the blood are commonly used as a marker for diagnosis, this study focuses on the significance of dT-DNA levels in the prognosis of prostate cancer. The findings may provide insights into improved post-surgical monitoring and more tailored therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer patients.

ctDNA-guided Surveillance for Stage III CRC, a Randomized Intervention Trial

IMPROVE-IT2 is a randomized multicenter trial comparing the outcomes of ctDNA guided post-operative surveillance and standard-of-care CT-scan surveillance. The hypothesis of this study is that ctDNA guided post-operative surveillance combining ctDNA and radiological assessments could result in earlier detection of recurrent disease and identify more patients eligible for curative treatment.

French Assessment of MRD by Liquid Biopsies in Colorectal With Liver Metastasis Patients (FRENCH.MRD.CRLM)

Improving personalized cancer treatments and finding the best strategies to treat each patient relies on using new diagnostic technologies. Currently, for colorectal cancer, the methods used to decide who gets additional post-surgery treatment are suboptimal. Some patients get too much treatment, while others do not get enough. There is a new way to explore if there is any cancer left in a patient's body using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detected in blood samples. This can help decide who needs more treatment after surgery. Even though many tests have been developed, it has yet to be determined which test performs best at relevant time points. The GUIDE.MRD consortium is a group of experts, including scientists, technology, and pharmaceutical companies. The consortium is working on creating a reliable standard for the ctDNA tests, validating their clinical utility, and collecting data to help decide on the best treatment for each patient. FRENCH.MRD.CRLM is the French study and part of the european GUIDE.MRD project.