Clinical trial · Observational
Utility of Plasma Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Asymptomatic Subjects for the Detection of Neoplastic Disease
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Pathway Genomics Corporation (Pathway Genomics), a San Diego, California company, is involved in the development and validation of new molecular diagnostic assays for the analysis of circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (ctDNA) found in the plasma-derived DNA (cell-free DNA or cfDNA) in order to identify specific variants (mutations) in cancer driver genes. The purpose of testing for mutations in ctDNA is to detect and monitor cancer. All cells shed DNA into the bloodstream. Finding cancer-associated mutations in the cfDNA may lead to early detection of cancer in an otherwise apparently healthy (i.e. asymptomatic) individual or may allow the healthcare provider to more effectively monitor and treat a known cancer patient. The analysis is performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methodology where oligonucleotides are designed to target specific mutations in designated genes of interest followed by next generation deep sequencing of the amplified targets. Evaluation of the performance of these assays for screening for cancer in asymptomatic subjects is essential for the clinical validation of the use of these assays. The specific aim of this protocol is to obtain relevant human blood samples from individual subjects at higher than average risk for the development of cancer due to age, heredity, or environmental or toxic exposures for use in the statistical analysis of this method as an adjunct screening test for the potential presence of cancer.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutation | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Neoplasms | Neoplasm | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.90 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| ctDNA Analysis for the Detection of Genetic Mutations | Genetic | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- label
- Increased Risk for Cancer Development
- description
- The group is to include at least 1000 individuals who are at high risk for the development of cancer. Risk is assessed through the completion of a clinical history questionnaire. Examples of such subjects include those with known hereditary cancer syndrome pathogenic variants without a diagnosis of cancer, with significant family history of breast, ovarian, colon, or lung cancer or melanoma, or another strong history of cancer but no prior molecular diagnosis, heavy smokers or those exposed to carcinogens and mutagens. The individuals who meet criteria for inclusion will undergo cell-free DNA isolation and circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis for the detection of genetic mutations associated with the possible development of a malignancy.
- interventionNames
- Genetic: ctDNA Analysis for the Detection of Genetic Mutations
Primary outcomes (3)
- measure
- Number of subjects found with one or more of 96 ctDNA mutations
- timeFrame
- 1 year
- description
- A cohort of 1000 or more individuals who are at high risk for the development of cancer will be tested for the presence of 96 well-described mutations in 9 cancer driver genes via ctDNA analysis. The number of individuals with one or more of the 96 assayed mutations will be assessed.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * strong family history of cancer * known carrier of a pathogenic variant in a gene indicating an increased risk of cancer, for example, in the BRCA1 or TP53 genes. * exposure to environmental toxins, carcinogens, or mutagens, including but not limited to tobacco, radiation, asbestos, long-time industrial chemical exposure * age equal to or over 50 years Exclusion Criteria: * prior diagnosis of cancer except basal cell carcinoma * no risk factors that place the individual at high risk * age under 18 years * individuals unwilling to sign the IRB-approved consent form
References
Publications (17)
- BACKGROUNDKidess E, Heirich K, Wiggin M, Vysotskaia V, Visser BC, Marziali A, Wiedenmann B, Norton JA, Lee M, Jeffrey SS, Poultsides GA. Mutation profiling of tumor DNA from plasma and tumor tissue of colorectal cancer patients with a novel, high-sensitivity multiplexed mutation detection platform. Oncotarget. 2015 Feb 10;6(4):2549-61. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.3041. PMID 25575824
- BACKGROUNDPerrone F, Lampis A, Bertan C, Verderio P, Ciniselli CM, Pizzamiglio S, Frattini M, Nucifora M, Molinari F, Gallino G, Gariboldi M, Meroni E, Leo E, Pierotti MA, Pilotti S. Circulating free DNA in a screening program for early colorectal cancer detection. Tumori. 2014 Mar-Apr;100(2):115-21. doi: 10.1177/030089161410000201. PMID 24852853
- BACKGROUNDLin PC, Lin JK, Lin CH, Lin HH, Yang SH, Jiang JK, Chen WS, Chou CC, Tsai SF, Chang SC. Clinical Relevance of Plasma DNA Methylation in Colorectal Cancer Patients Identified by Using a Genome-Wide High-Resolution Array. Ann Surg Oncol. 2015 Dec;22 Suppl 3:S1419-27. doi: 10.1245/s10434-014-4277-2. Epub 2014 Dec 4. PMID 25472652
- BACKGROUNDSpindler KL, Appelt AL, Pallisgaard N, Andersen RF, Brandslund I, Jakobsen A. Cell-free DNA in healthy individuals, noncancerous disease and strong prognostic value in colorectal cancer. Int J Cancer. 2014 Dec 15;135(12):2984-91. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28946. Epub 2014 Jun 17. PMID 24798213
- BACKGROUNDBeaver JA, Jelovac D, Balukrishna S, Cochran R, Croessmann S, Zabransky DJ, Wong HY, Toro PV, Cidado J, Blair BG, Chu D, Burns T, Higgins MJ, Stearns V, Jacobs L, Habibi M, Lange J, Hurley PJ, Lauring J, VanDenBerg D, Kessler J, Jeter S, Samuels ML, Maar D, Cope L, Cimino-Mathews A, Argani P, Wolff AC, Park BH. Detection of cancer DNA in plasma of patients with early-stage breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2014 May 15;20(10):2643-2650. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-2933. Epub 2014 Feb 6. PMID 24504125
- BACKGROUNDOshiro C, Kagara N, Naoi Y, Shimoda M, Shimomura A, Maruyama N, Shimazu K, Kim SJ, Noguchi S. PIK3CA mutations in serum DNA are predictive of recurrence in primary breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015 Apr;150(2):299-307. doi: 10.1007/s10549-015-3322-6. Epub 2015 Mar 4.