BACKGROUND

Recurrent gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers have poor prognoses and limited treatment options. While archival tumor tissue is commonly used for genomic profiling, it may not reflect molecular changes at recurrence.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the utility of a circulating tumor DNA analysis in identifying actionable genomic alterations at recurrence and compare findings with archival primary tumor profiles.

METHODS

This prospective multicenter observational study included 50 patients with recurrent stage II or III gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who had undergone curative surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. A circulating tumor DNA analysis was performed using the Guardant360 assay at recurrence, and results were compared with comprehensive genomic profiling from archival primary tumor tissue when available. The primary endpoint was the detection rate of actionable genomic alterations in circulating tumor DNA, defined as those with an OncoKB level ≥ 3 in any cancer type.

RESULTS

Circulating tumor DNA was detected in 78% (39/50) of patients. Actionable genomic alterations were identified in 36%, meeting the primary endpoint. The most frequent actionable genomic alterations included PIK3CA mutations (18%), ARID1A mutations (10%), ERBB2 amplification (6%), and ATM mutations (6%). Among 18 patients with paired tissue and circulating tumor DNA data, 66.7% showed changes in actionable genomic alterations between the primary tumor and recurrence. New actionable alterations, including ERBB2 amplifications and PIK3CA mutations, were identified exclusively in circulating tumor DNA at recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

A circulating tumor DNA analysis effectively captured genomic evolution at recurrence, identifying clinically relevant alterations not found in primary tumor tissue. These findings support the integration of a liquid biopsy into clinical practice to guide treatment for recurrent gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.