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‹ Tue · 6 Oct 2026
Early cancer detection or prevention

Role of circulating tumour DNA in predicting complete clinical response and local regrowth after total neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer: meta-analysis.

Blood-based tumor DNA tests may help doctors decide whether patients with rectal cancer can safely skip surgery after chemotherapy, complementing existing imaging checks.

BACKGROUND: Non-operative management after total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has emerged as a potential strategy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) achieving clinical complete response (cCR). ctDNA should be interpreted as a complementary tool for systemic risk stratification alongside established anatomical assessment.

What the study was

Study design
Meta-Analysis
Category
Early Detection
Maturity
Potentially Practice-Changing
Journal
BJS open

Why it surfaced

Priority flag: EARLY_CANCER_DETECTION; Score 8/10; Design: Meta-Analysis; Topics: Early cancer detection

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