DCCC Danish Research Centre for circulating tumor DNA guided treatment has held the first international symposium on ctDNA and annual meeting in November 2022. Photo: Anne Lærke Lorentzen, ctDNA center.
30-11-2022
Two days. 120 participants. Lots of knowledge. Eight words that briefly and precisely summarise the successful ctDNA symposium, which took place in November with both Danish and international speakers.
DNA from cancer cells circulating in the blood (ctDNA) is one of the most promising biomarkers in the cancer field. The method has the potential to target treatments and follow-up programs post cancer to the individual patient in the form of personalised treatments. At the same time, circulating cancer DNA can be a way to improve screening programmes and increase the quality of follow-up in patients who have survived the first battle against cancer. A step on the way was taken by participants at 'The 1st International Symposium on Circulating Tumor DNA', held by the DCCC Danish Research Center for circulating tumor DNA guided cancer treatment.
This was also evident in the program, which included presentations on both the possibilities of using circulating tumor DNA analyses for screening, for selecting patients for adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy, for monitoring the effect of chemotherapy, for monitoring for relapse after treatment and a clinical angle on both the potential benefits and challenges of the implementation of ctDNA guided cancer.
The program thus covered a range of different detection strategies within ctDNA. From tumor agnostic fragmentomics to tumor informed deep targeted sequencing and whole genome sequencing.
The programme also featured an interactive panel discussion about the possible benefits and challenges of future implementation of ctDNA based multi-cancer screening tests.
Measuring cancer DNA in blood can change cancer treatment
Use of ctDNA measurement has the potential to improve investigation, treatment and follow-up in patients with cancer. It is thus a method that can bring us not just one, but several steps forward in the fight against cancer. Steps the ctDNA research center contributes to be taken.
However, there are still a number of questions and challenges that need to be addressed through further research. The necessary studies are demanding and are best carried out in an interdisciplinary and national/international framework.
The symposium is an important element in the centre's aim to promote international and national collaborations around research into ctDNA guided cancer treatment. At the meeting, participants enthusiastically took advantage of the good opportunities to build new relationships and collaborations at the presentations as well as at flash-talk sessions, where the research center's younger researchers presented their research.
In continuation of the symposium, the annual meeting for the ctDNA research center was held, which offered an update from the research center's working groups in the national infrastructures, as well as an update and presentation of results from a large part of the center's clinical ctDNA studies.
DCCC Danish Research Center for circulating tumor DNA guided cancer treatment was established in 2020 with support from Knæk Cancer. Read more about it here.