Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumor DNA in Localized Pancreatic Cancer

In a prospective study, researchers evaluated the prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in patients with localized pancreatic cancer (PDAC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). They found that ctDNA detection was associated with higher CA19-9 levels and predicted worse progression-free survival. Moreover, the presence of KRAS ctDNA at diagnosis independently predicted poorer survival in patients treated with NAC. These findings highlight the potential of ctDNA analysis with NGS as a biomarker for treatment response and survival prediction in localized PDAC.