A blood test could save some colon cancer patients from getting unnecessary chemotherapy following surgery, while making sure that those who would benefit from the treatment get it, researchers report.
The circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test looks for minute amounts of genetic material that are released by cancerous tumors, explained co-researcher Dr. Anne Marie Lennon, director of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore.
The presence of cancer DNA in the blood is a sign that someone likely needs follow-up chemotherapy, Lennon said.
The test nearly halved the number of people with stage 2 colon cancer who got follow-up chemotherapy after surgery -- 15% versus 28% for a control group that received standard cancer care, the researchers found.
Gene testing helps identify women with breast cancer who can skip radiation