Investigation of a methylated BCAT1 and IKZF1 circulating tumour DNA blood test for monitoring treatment response in patients with colorectal cancer
Methylated tumor DNA in blood drops dramatically in colorectal cancer patients responding to treatment, outperforming standard blood markers.
In 29 CRC patients with detectable pre-treatment ctDNA, methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 ctDNA levels drop significantly in treatment responders (100% median reduction) versus non-responders (0.13%), outperforming CEA for monitoring. This preliminary study supports BCAT1/IKZF1 ctDNA as a treatment response biomarker, though the small sample size limits definitive conclusions.
What the study was
- Study design
- Prospective biomarker study
- Population
- CRC patients receiving chemotherapy, targeted therapy and/or radiotherapy, Flinders University/Medical Centre, Australia
- Sample size
- 29
- Category
- Diagnostics
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
Why it surfaced
Supports utility of established CRC ctDNA marker panel (BCAT1/IKZF1) for treatment monitoring but n=29 is underpowered; preliminary signal requires larger validation.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.