Patrick Kirchweger1, Alexander Kupferthaler2, Jonathan Burghofer3, Gerald Webersinke3, Emina Jukic4, Simon Schwendinger4, Michael Weitzendorfer5, Andreas Petzer6, Reinhold Függer7, Holger Rumpold8, Helwig Wundsam9. 1. Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Linz, Austria; Department of Surgery, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria; Johannes Kepler University Linz, Medical Faculty, Linz, Austria. 2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria. 3. Laboratory for Molecular Genetic Diagnostics, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria. 4. Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. 5. Department of Surgery, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. 6. Johannes Kepler University Linz, Medical Faculty, Linz, Austria; Department of Internal Medicine I for Hematology with Stem Cell Transplantaation, Hemostaseology and Medical Oncology, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria. 7. Department of Surgery, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria; Johannes Kepler University Linz, Medical Faculty, Linz, Austria. 8. Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Linz, Austria; Johannes Kepler University Linz, Medical Faculty, Linz, Austria. 9. Department of Surgery, Ordensklinikum Linz, Austria. Electronic address: helwig.wundsam@ordensklinikum.at.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) represents a promising tool for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring of several malignancies. Its association with tumor burden in pancreatic ductal cancer (PDAC), especially in localized disease, is not fully explored yet. We aimed to investigate the association of pretherapeutic ctDNA levels in localized and metastatic PDAC with tumor volume and clinical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Liquid biopsy for ctDNA detection was prospectively obtained from patients with localized or disseminated PDAC prior to either resection or systemic treatment. Detection rates and levels of ctDNA (digital droplet PCR) were correlated to tumor volume, relapse rate and survival. RESULTS: 60 patients with localized and 47 patients with metastatic PDAC were included. ctDNA was detected in 10% of localized and 57.4% of metastasized PDAC samples. In localized disease, ctDNA detection significantly correlated with the numbers of involved locoregional lymph nodes (p = 0.030). Primary tumor volume did not correlate with ctDNA levels in neither localized (p = 0.573) nor metastasized disease (p = 0.878). In disseminated disease, ctDNA levels correlated with total tumor volume (p = 0.026) and especially with liver metastases volume (p = 0.004), but not with other metastases. Detection of pretherapeutic ctDNA was associated with shorter DFS in localized (3.3 vs. 18.1 months, p = 0.000), whereas ctDNA levels were associated with worse survival in metastatic PDAC (5.7 vs. 7.8 months, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: ctDNA positivity indicates major nodal involvement or even presence of undetected distant metastases associated with early recurrence in localized PDAC. Moreover, it predicts worse clinical outcome in both localized and metastatic disease.
INTRODUCTION: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) represents a promising tool for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring of several malignancies. Its association with tumor burden in pancreatic ductal cancer (PDAC), especially in localized disease, is not fully explored yet. We aimed to investigate the association of pretherapeutic ctDNA levels in localized and metastatic PDAC with tumor volume and clinical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Liquid biopsy for ctDNA detection was prospectively obtained from patients with localized or disseminated PDAC prior to either resection or systemic treatment. Detection rates and levels of ctDNA (digital droplet PCR) were correlated to tumor volume, relapse rate and survival. RESULTS: 60 patients with localized and 47 patients with metastatic PDAC were included. ctDNA was detected in 10% of localized and 57.4% of metastasized PDAC samples. In localized disease, ctDNA detection significantly correlated with the numbers of involved locoregional lymph nodes (p = 0.030). Primary tumor volume did not correlate with ctDNA levels in neither localized (p = 0.573) nor metastasized disease (p = 0.878). In disseminated disease, ctDNA levels correlated with total tumor volume (p = 0.026) and especially with liver metastases volume (p = 0.004), but not with other metastases. Detection of pretherapeutic ctDNA was associated with shorter DFS in localized (3.3 vs. 18.1 months, p = 0.000), whereas ctDNA levels were associated with worse survival in metastatic PDAC (5.7 vs. 7.8 months, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: ctDNA positivity indicates major nodal involvement or even presence of undetected distant metastases associated with early recurrence in localized PDAC. Moreover, it predicts worse clinical outcome in both localized and metastatic disease.
Authors: Patrick Kirchweger; Alexander Kupferthaler; Jonathan Burghofer; Gerald Webersinke; Emina Jukic; Simon Schwendinger; Michael Weitzendorfer; Andreas Petzer; Reinhold Függer; Holger Rumpold; Helwig Wundsam Journal: Data Brief Date: 2022-02-10