So-called liquid biopsies are feasible as a way of monitoring treatment for gastro-intestinal cancer, a European conference has heard.
Doctors in Boston, Massachusetts, reported how they had used repeated blood tests for circulating tumour DNA to predict the effectiveness of treatment.
They said the tests provided more information, less invasively, than standard tissue biopsies.
The work was reported to the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, organised by the European Society for Medical Oncology in Barcelona, Spain.
The doctors reported on the care of 40 patients. In 31 patients circulating DNA in the blood revealed at least one genetic mutation linked to treatment-resistance. 14 had more than one mutation.
Researcher Dr Aparna Parikh, from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, said: "We have shown that integrating regular liquid biopsies into our patients’ routine care is feasible and easily incorporated into clinical practice.
"This technology can precisely help us understand each patient’s individual disease course and allows us to tailor care based on an understanding of their specific disease biology."
She added: "Identifying what specific mutations are responsible for treatment resistance is very important in helping clinicians choosing what treatment path a patient should try next, whether it be another drug or perhaps radiation."
Dr Frederica Di Nicolantonio, of the Candiolo Cancer Institute and University of Torino, Italy, praised the study.
She said: "This work elegantly reports that the use of clinical liquid biopsy panels can effectively identify multiple heterogeneous and co-occurring mechanisms of acquired drug resistance, all in a non-invasive manner. Clinicians should be able to better individualise patient care based on results from this technology."
Abstract: Systematic liquid biopsy identifies novel and heterogeneous mechanisms of acquired resistance in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients
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