Improved detection of micrometastases in colon cancer

Pioneering research has made it possible to improve the detection of colon cancer micrometastases through a blood test, which could open new therapeutic avenues, such as the use of immunotherapy in early stages.

The main objective of the study, published this Tuesday in the journal Nature Cancer, has been to improve the early detection of relapses in patients with localized colon cancer (stages II and III) using an advanced, non-invasive and more precise technique, according to the Incliva Health Research Institute at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia, in eastern Spain, which led the project.

To this end, the TAV16 test has been developed, based on whole-exome sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood. This test more sensitively identifies the presence of minimal residual disease after surgery, predicting which patients will relapse and who can avoid unnecessary treatment.

Read: Vatican seals Sistine Chapel for conclave

Colorectal cancer is the third most common tumor in the world and the second leading cause of cancer death, with nearly two million cases annually.

Currently, treatment decisions after surgery are based on pathological criteria, resulting in relapse in 30% to 40% of patients, while 60% to 70% receive unnecessary chemotherapy.

Faced with this situation, the Incliva team has developed a tool applicable to all patients, which improves the sensitivity of current methods (between 87% and 100%) and which already has patent protection, according to sources.

Czech Republic: Injuries reported after multiple vehicle crash in Stuttgart, Germany

The research, led by doctors Noelia Tarazona and Andrés Cervantes, analyzed samples at three key moments: diagnosis, post-surgery, and relapse.

The study was conducted with a Spanish cohort of 25 patients and an international validation cohort in Denmark with 15 patients, confirming the robustness of the results. According to the researchers, the new test allows them to predict which patients will relapse and who can avoid unnecessary treatments, which could reduce the administration of chemotherapy and its associated impact.

The team has complemented the analysis with transcriptomic and proteomic studies of tumor tissues, identifying molecular mechanisms involved in immune progression and evasion.

The study reveals that Early escape from immune control by tumor cells could be one of the main causes of relapse, which opens a way to apply immunotherapy in early stages of colon cancer.

AO