Researchers from the University of Brasília found that cfDNA levels increase nearly 3x during surgery and double post-surgery in colorectal cancer patients. Could this be the future of surgical outcome monitoring?
![cfDNA as a Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer Surgery cfDNA as a Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer Surgery](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/circulating-cell-free-dna.jpg)
Assessment of cfDNA release dynamics during colorectal cancer surgery
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‘Elevated cfDNA levels may indicate tissue damage and tumor aggression, making it a promising marker for post-surgery monitoring and follow-up care. #cfDNA #cancercare #surgery #medindia’
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When cells die and disintegrate, tiny DNA fragments known as cfDNA are released into the circulation. While some cfDNA in cancer patients comes from tumor cells, most cfDNA in healthy people comes from normal cell turnover. ![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
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In cancers like lung, breast, and colorectal cancer, measuring cfDNA levels provides important information about a patient's health and is already being used to monitor therapy response and disease progression.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, affecting millions of people each year. Surgery is often the primary treatment, but up to 50% of patients experience cancer recurrence afterwards.
In this study, the research team, led by first author Mailson Alves Lopes and corresponding author Fabio Pittella-Silva, analyzed blood samples from 30 patients at three key time points: before, during, and after surgery.
It was found that cfDNA levels increased nearly threefold during surgery and doubled after surgery compared to pre-surgery levels. The increases were even higher in individuals over 60, those with preexisting conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, and patients with elevated levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a common cancer marker.
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These findings suggest that cfDNA could be a valuable, non-invasive biomarker for clinicians to monitor colorectal cancer patients. Tracking cfDNA levels may help better evaluate surgical outcomes and determine whether patients require closer follow-up care.
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Reference:
- Assessment of cfDNA release dynamics during colorectal cancer surgery - (https://www.oncotarget.com/article/28681/text/)
Source-Eurekalert