Sam Klempner, MD, Reviews ctDNA Role in Gastroesophageal Cancers

At the 2022 International Gastric Cancer Conference, Sam Klempner, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, spoke to CancerNetwork® about the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with nonmetastatic gastroesophageal cancer and which patient populations are most likely to have have recurrence of their disease.

Transcript:

The main clinical question driving the interest in incorporating ctDNA into [the management of] nonmetastatic gastroesophageal cancers is that despite our best therapies—which are intensive and often toxic, including triplet chemotherapy and surgery in gastric cancer—we still have high recurrence rates. Identifying groups of patients who are either more or less likely to recur, and ultimately, by using some of these tests to incorporate into management, we may be able to define groups that we could intensify or potentially even de-intensify therapy for and achieve the same outcomes with a potentially less toxic regimen. The currently poor outcomes, the lack of current clinical predictors, and the potential toxicity of our treatments are the things that are driving better biomarkers.