{"entity":{"id":"paper-stecklein-ctdna-rcb-tnbc-residual-disease-npj-2023","kind":"paper","name":"ctDNA and residual cancer burden are prognostic in triple-negative breast cancer patients with residual disease","aka":[],"tldr":"Among 80 women with triple-negative cancer left at surgery after chemotherapy, a third had ctDNA in their blood; their three-year event-free survival was 48% against 82%, and the blood test added to the pathologist's residual cancer burden score.","summary":"End-of-treatment ctDNA was analysed in 80 TNBC patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant systemic therapy in a prospective multisite registry. 33% were ctDNA-positive; residual cancer burden was RCB-I 26%, RCB-II 49%, RCB-III 18%. ctDNA positivity rose with RCB class (14%, 31%, 57%; P 0.028) and was associated with inferior three-year event-free survival (48% versus 82%) and overall survival (50% versus 86%), including within RCB-II (65% versus 87%). RCB class (HR 5.16) and ctDNA status (HR 3.71) were independently prognostic after adjusting for T stage and nodes.","asOf":"2026-09-24","links":[{"label":"Stecklein et al., npj Breast Cancer 2023: ctDNA and residual cancer burden in 80 TNBC patients with residual disease","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-023-00512-7"},{"label":"PubMed","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36878909/"}],"tags":[],"related":["ctdna-mrd-positive"],"cancers":["tnbc","tnbc-early"],"sections":[],"technologies":["mrd-testing"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":["ctdna","rcb","mrd"],"trials":[],"people":["priyanka-sharma"],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"journal":"npj Breast Cancer","year":2023,"doi":"10.1038/s41523-023-00512-7","pmid":"36878909","authors":"Stecklein SR, Kimler BF, Yoder R, et al.","paperType":"observational","findings":["ctDNA positive in 33%; 14%, 31% and 57% of RCB-I, II and III.","Three-year EFS 48% versus 82%; OS 50% versus 86%.","RCB (HR 5.16) and ctDNA (HR 3.71) independently prognostic."],"whatItMeans":"ctDNA and RCB measure different things and both should stratify post-neoadjuvant TNBC trials; an RCB-II patient with negative ctDNA has an 87% three-year event-free survival.","caveats":["80 patients; registry rather than trial.","Assay details and lead times are not in the abstract."],"changedPractice":false,"participants":80},"route":"/key-papers/paper-stecklein-ctdna-rcb-tnbc-residual-disease-npj-2023/","neighbours":{"biomarker":[{"id":"ctdna-mrd-positive","kind":"biomarker","name":"ctDNA MRD positivity (molecular residual disease after curative treatment)","route":"/biomarkers/ctdna-mrd-positive/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"tnbc-early","kind":"cancer","name":"Early triple-negative breast cancer","route":"/cancers/tnbc-early/"},{"id":"tnbc","kind":"cancer","name":"Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)","route":"/cancers/tnbc/"}],"technology":[{"id":"mrd-testing","kind":"technology","name":"MRD / molecular residual disease testing","route":"/technologies/mrd-testing/"}],"term":[{"id":"ctdna","kind":"term","name":"Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA)","route":"/terms/ctdna/"},{"id":"mrd","kind":"term","name":"Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD)","route":"/terms/mrd/"},{"id":"rcb","kind":"term","name":"Residual cancer burden (RCB)","route":"/terms/rcb/"}],"person":[{"id":"priyanka-sharma","kind":"person","name":"Priyanka Sharma","route":"/people/priyanka-sharma/"}]}}