The role of circulating tumor DNA in evaluating minimal residual disease in luminal gastrointestinal malignancies.

The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has multiple uses in oncology. In the past few years, studies with varying designs, methods, and quality have emerged that show promise for the use of ctDNA as a tool to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) across luminal gastrointestinal malignancies. This review of the current literature looks at ctDNA in relation to detecting MRD, predicting patient prognosis, and assessing risk for recurrence.