Comprehensive Liquid Biopsy Testing in Metastatic Hormone Receptor-Positive HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Patients: First Results from Routine Clinical Practice.
Blood tests can now quickly spot genetic mutations in advanced breast cancers that predict drug resistance, helping doctors choose the most effective treatment faster.
This real-world cohort study of 162 patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer demonstrated that hybrid-capture ctDNA testing detected ESR1 resistance mutations in 28.4% of patients within ~8.7 days, directly guiding treatment initiation with elacestrant in nearly half those cases. Additional actionable mutations (PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT) were also identified, supporting early integration of liquid biopsy into the treatment algorithm rather than reserving it for late disease stages.
What the study was
- Study design
- Retrospective cohort
- Population
- 162 patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer who underwent liquid biopsy testing in routine clinical care at Heidelberg NCT
- Sample size
- 162
- Category
- Early Detection
- Maturity
- Validated
- Journal
- Breast Care (Basel)
Why it surfaced
Real-world validation of ctDNA testing in routine practice for metastatic HR+ breast cancer, directly demonstrating elacestrant treatment guidance; high evidence maturity for a precision liquid biopsy application.
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