Circulating tumour DNA, a promising biomarker for the management of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a significant global health burden given that it is the 3rd most common cancer in men and the 2nd most common cancer in women (Ferlay et al., 2015). The disease is curable if diagnosed at an early stage when it may be amenable to surgical resection. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that a patient with early stage colon cancer would incur a treatment cost of £3400 in the National Health Service compared to £12 500 for a patient with late stage disease. Improvement in early diagnosis is therefore paramount to improve survival and lead to significant cost savings.
Source: Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research