The evolving landscape and clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA across the spectrum of urothelial carcinoma: A systematic review and framework for clinical integration
Blood tests for tumor DNA help doctors tailor bladder cancer treatment by predicting who needs extra therapy and tracking how well drugs are working.
This systematic review of 61 studies synthesizes ctDNA utility across all urothelial carcinoma stages, demonstrating stage-specific detection rates, strong prognostic value, and emerging role in guiding adjuvant therapy decisions. The authors propose a clinical integration framework with stage-tailored strategies, from risk stratification in NMIBC to treatment monitoring in metastatic UC.
What the study was
- Study design
- Systematic review
- Population
- Patients with urothelial carcinoma across disease stages (NMIBC, MIBC, metastatic UC, UTUC)
- Sample size
- 61 studies included
- Category
- Early Detection
- Maturity
- Validated
- Journal
- Cancer
Why it surfaced
Comprehensive systematic review (61 studies) providing first unified ctDNA clinical integration framework across the full UC disease spectrum. Actionable findings at every stage: risk stratification in NMIBC, adjuvant therapy guidance in MIBC, treatment monitoring in mUC. TERT mutations identified as predominant alteration. Directly relevant to pipeline interests in liquid biopsy and precision oncology.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.