Utilising Circulating Tumour DNA (ctDNA) to optimise the adjuvant therapy and follow-up of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

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The management of patients after surgery for rectal cancer presents multilpe dilemmas; what treatment should be given and to which patients? Our initial studies in colorectal cancer patients demonstrate that a novel blood biomarker (circulating tumour DNA) can accurately predict patient risk of recurrence and with serial samples, can indicate whether chemotherapy is being effective. During follow-up changes in this biomarker promise to be a specific and very early indicator of cancer recurrence.