The American Cancer Society estimates that over 152,000 new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) were diagnosed in 2024, with more than 105,000 cases affecting the colon and 46,000 involving the rectum. CRC remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with an estimated 53,010 deaths in 2024. In the era of precision medicine, which incorporates molecular and environmental information into clinical decision-making, identifying patients harboring a deficiency in Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair allowed for targeted immunotherapies and significantly reduced CRC-related mortality. A significant advancement in this domain is the application of liquid biopsy, which has emerged as a promising tool for prognostication, guiding therapy, and monitoring treatment response in CRC. This review aims to comprehensively explore the role of liquid biopsy in colorectal malignancies, describing its practical applications, prognostic significance, and potential to revolutionize CRC management in the future. At the end, we also aim to show a schematic representation of showing integration of Circulating Tumor (Ct) DNA in routine clinical management of CRC. The highlight of this article is the structured and evidence-based schematic framework and its integration into future practice. The schematic pathway is designed to optimize ctDNA utilization across various stages of colorectal cancer management.
美国癌症协会估计，2024年新诊断结直肠癌病例超过152,000例，其中结肠癌病例超过105,000例，直肠癌病例46,000例。结直肠癌仍是美国癌症相关死亡的第二大原因，2024年估计有53,010例死亡。在精准医疗时代，分子和环境信息被纳入临床决策，识别存在脱氧核糖核酸修复缺陷的患者使得靶向免疫治疗成为可能，并显著降低了结直肠癌相关死亡率。该领域的一项重要进展是液体活检的应用，它已成为结直肠癌预后评估、治疗指导和疗效监测的重要工具。本综述旨在全面探讨液体活检在结直肠恶性肿瘤中的作用，阐述其实际应用、预后意义以及未来可能对结直肠癌管理带来的革命性变革。最后，我们还旨在展示循环肿瘤DNA在结直肠癌常规临床管理中整合应用的示意图。本文的亮点在于其结构化、基于证据的框架体系及其与未来临床实践的整合。该示意图旨在优化循环肿瘤DNA在结直肠癌管理各阶段的应用。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家