Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022;26(2):128-132.
doi: 10.5114/wo.2022.118132. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Quantitative analysis of plasma DNA in anal cancer patients

Ewa Małusecka  1 , Monika Giglok  2 , Rafał Suwiński  2 , Tomasz Wojciech Rutkowski  3 , Agnieszka Maria Mazurek  1
Affiliations

Quantitative analysis of plasma DNA in anal cancer patients

Ewa Małusecka et al. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2022.

Abstract

Introduction: The availability and non-invasiveness of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) opens up new possibilities for real-time serial testing. The relationship between cfDNA concentration, clinical factors and suitability for monitoring was analyzed in patients with newly diagnosed anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC).

Material and methods: Blood samples were collected at several points during and after treatment. Patients were homogeneously treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Results: The concentration of cfDNA strongly correlated with the tumor volume (r = 0.9, p = 0.00006) and number of neutrophils (r = 0.706, p = 0.0069). Monitoring of cfDNA levels during treatment showed an increase after initiation of therapy, a peak at the end of treatment with significantly higher values for advanced than in T1/T2 tumors, and a decrease (T3/T4) during follow-up. However, neither the concentration of cfDNA before treatment nor its changes correlated with the response to chemoradiotherapy. There was no association between baseline cfDNA levels and T, N, age and gender.

Conclusions: Substantial changes in plasma cfDNA content can be observed after chemoradiotherapy for ASCC. However, the small number of cases studied makes it difficult to assess the usefulness of the cfDNA test.

Keywords: anal cancer; circulating cell-free DNA; plasma; radiochemotherapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effect of tumor size on circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) clearance. The highest cfDNA values were found in patients with advanced tumors (T3–T4) at the end of therapy. 0, A, B, C, D, E – time points in relation to chemoradiotherapy. The dotted and solid lines represent the mean cfDNA concentration (±SD) for T1/T2 and T3/T4 groups, respectively
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) kinetics during treatment. 0, A, B, C – time points in relation to chemoradiotherapy. The dotted line represent the mean cfDNA concentration (±SD) for complete response patients. The solid line represents cfDNA concentration in the case of progressive disease patients CR – complete response, PD – progressive disease
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fluctuation in four complete responders. The initial concentration of cfDNA as well as subsequent changes are individual and were not associated with clinical and/or demographic variables. #1, #4, #14, #15 patients’ numbers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kustanovich A, Schwartz R, Peretz T, Grinshpun A. Life and death of circulating cell-free DNA. Cancer Biol Ther 2019; 20: 1057-1067. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lefèvre AC, Kronborg C, Sørensen BS, et al. . Measurement of circulating free DNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and relation to risk factors and recurrence. Radiother Oncol 2020; 150: 211-216. - PubMed
    1. Lin LH, Chang KW, Kao SY, et al. . Increased plasma circulating cell-free DNA could be a potential marker for oral cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:3303. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wei L, Wu W, Han L, et al. . A quantitative analysis of the potential biomarkers of non-small cell lung cancer by circulating cell-free DNA. Oncol Lett 2018; 16: 4353-4360. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cheng C, Omura-Minamisawa M, Kang Y, et al. . Quantification of circulating cell-free DNA in the plasma of cancer patients during radiation therapy. Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 303-309. - PMC - PubMed