JAMA Oncol: Detection of ctDNA and circulating tumor cells after new assisted chemotherapy predicts risk of recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer

!---- Currently, a large proportion of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients receive new complementary chemotherapypostoperative sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) combined circulating tumor cells (CTC) counts or can be used to detect small residual lesions to predict the risk of recurrencethe study analyzed 196 early TNBC female patients in the BRE12-158 trial (phase 2 multicenter randomization trial) to assess whether ctDNA and CTC after new assisted chemotherapy in early TNBC patients were independently associated with their recurrence and clinical prognosistake blood samples during treatment groupingsctDNA analysis in 142 patients and CTC analysis in 123 patientsthe main prognosis are long-term disease-free survival (DDFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS)clinical median follow-up for 17.2 months (range 0.3-58.3 months)in 196 patients (average 49.6 years of age), ctDNA detection was significantly associated with dDFS (median DDFS, 32.5 months vs missed; risk ratio of 2.99, 95% CI 1.38-6.48; P-0.006)at 24 months, the probability of DDFS in ctDNA-positive and negative patients was 56% and 81%, respectivelyctDNA detection was also significantly associated with DFS and OS adverseities (HR 2.67 and 4.16, respectively)ctDNA combined with CTC improves sensitivity and identificationpatients with ctDNA and CTC double negative had significantly worse DDFS compared to ctDNA and CTC double-positive patients (median DDFS, 32.5 months vs missed; HR 5.29, 95% CI 1.50-18.62; P-0.009)at 24 months, the DDFS rate was 52% in ctDNA and CTC double-positive patients, compared with 89% in double-negative patientsis the same trend for DFS and OS, after the new assisted chemotherapy in early TNBC patients, ctDNA and CTC detection were independently associated with disease recurrence, suggesting that ctDNA and CTC may be important stratification factors in future postoperative assisted chemotherapy trials