Mark Lewis, MD

Panelists discuss how research on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in colorectal cancer requires careful consideration of standardized collection protocols, analytical validation, clinical utility assessment, integration with existing biomarkers, and longitudinal monitoring to establish its role in personalized treatment decision-making.

Panelists discuss how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing serves as a complementary tool to traditional imaging in challenging colorectal cancer cases, offering molecular-level insights that can detect disease recurrence earlier, resolve ambiguous radiographic findings, and inform treatment decisions when conventional assessment methods yield inconclusive results.

Panelists discuss how adopting a patient-centric approach with comprehensive education about circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing empowers patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) to make informed decisions about their surveillance strategy while advancing personalized care pathways for the future.

Panelists discuss how tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing offers a personalized molecular surveillance strategy that can revolutionize colorectal cancer management through earlier detection of recurrence, real-time monitoring of treatment response, and potential for therapy de-escalation in patients with negative results.

Panelists discuss how the efficacy data from SWOG 80702 demonstrated that shortened duration of adjuvant chemotherapy (3 months vs 6 months) yielded comparable survival outcomes while significantly reducing treatment-related toxicities, challenging previous standard-of-care approaches for patients with stage III colon cancer.

Panelists discuss how SWOG 80702, a large-scale randomized clinical trial, employed a robust factorial design with clearly defined efficacy end points, including disease-free and overall survival, while enrolling a diverse patient population with stage III colon cancer to evaluate optimal adjuvant therapy duration and the impact of celecoxib.

Panelists discuss how minimal residual disease (MRD) status, as detected through circulating tumor DNA analysis, can guide personalized treatment decisions by identifying patients who may benefit from intensification of adjuvant therapy and those who could safely undergo de-escalation of treatment regimens.

Panelists discuss how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) clearance rates during and after adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in the BESPOKE trial provide critical insights into treatment efficacy and may serve as an early predictor of long-term patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss how BESPOKE trial results demonstrate significantly improved disease-free survival rates in patients with negative circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) status compared with those with detectable ctDNA, underscoring its potential as a powerful prognostic biomarker.

Panelists discuss how the BESPOKE trial enrolled a diverse cohort of patients with varying demographic profiles, disease stages, comorbidities, and treatment histories to ensure comprehensive representation for personalized medicine approaches.

Panelists discuss how the BESPOKE study’s innovative design, carefully selected efficacy end points, and rigorous methodological approach aim to evaluate personalized therapeutic interventions with unprecedented precision.

Panelists discuss how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) serves as a promising biomarker for early detection, treatment monitoring, and recurrence surveillance in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Panelists discuss how minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM) in the GALAXY study predicts both the benefit of adjuvant therapy and overall prognosis, potentially guiding more personalized treatment decisions.

Panelists discuss how the 24-month data from the GALAXY study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2024 meeting underscore the importance of minimal residual disease (MRD) status and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) clearance as key prognostic and predictive factors in colorectal cancer (CRC) management.

Panelists discuss how treatment strategies for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)–positive colorectal cancer (CRC) are evolving, with a focus on tailoring interventions based on molecular findings to improve patient outcomes and minimize unnecessary therapies.

Panelists discuss how results from the GALAXY study reveal that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) status is a powerful predictor of outcomes and treatment benefit in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), potentially revolutionizing personalized treatment approaches.

Panelists discuss how the GALAXY study data demonstrate the effectiveness of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)–based minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in patients with resected colorectal cancer (CRC), potentially improving postsurgical care and outcomes.

Panelists discuss how insights from the INTERCEPT, BESPOKE, COSMOS-CRC-01, and GALAXY studies are advancing our understanding of circulating tumor DNA’s (ctDNA) utility in colorectal cancer management, from early detection to treatment monitoring.

Panelists discuss how the DYNAMIC trial data demonstrate the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)–guided therapy to inform and optimize adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in patients with stage II colon cancer.

Panelists discuss how minimal residual disease (MRD) testing in colorectal cancer (CRC) is facilitating the development of chemo-sparing strategies while maintaining effective control of residual disease.

Panelists discuss how minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in colorectal cancer (CRC) is improving postsurgical treatment decision-making and enabling more effective monitoring of patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is revolutionizing colorectal cancer (CRC) management by enabling more personalized and precise approaches to diagnosis, treatment selection, and monitoring of disease progression.

Panelists discuss how colorectal cancer rates are increasing, particularly among younger adults, while highlighting the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) technology to improve early detection and treatment monitoring.

Drs. Cohen and Lewis close by outlining ongoing clinical trials in CRC and hopes for the future of care.

Stacy A. Cohen, MD and Mark Lewis, MD share key takeaways from the GALAXY study and discuss the clinical implications of using ctDNA-based assays for patients with CRC.

Experts describe cumulative ctDNA clearance rates in patients with stage I-IV disease who did or did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy in the GALAXY study.

Stacy A. Cohen, MD, and Mark Lewis, MD, discuss how DFS correlates with stage and adjuvant chemotherapy receipt in patients who are ctDNA-positive.

GI oncologists discuss DFS data from the dynamics analysis cohort of the GALAXY study.

Mark Lewis, MD, provides a historical perspective of circulating tumor DNA and discusses previous trials on ctDNA analysis in patients with CRC.

Stacy A. Cohen, MD, and Mark Lewis, MD, comment on disease-free survival rates by ctDNA status in patients enrolled in the GALAXY study.