Front Oncol. 2026 Sep 11;16:1908802. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2026.1908802. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Stage II colon cancer is clinically heterogeneous. Current clinicopathologic risk factors cannot accurately identify patients with residual disease after curative resection. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD), defined as microscopic residual tumor burden that remains after curative-intent treatment and is not detectable by conventional imaging, and for postoperative risk stratification.

METHODS: This narrative review summarizes the biological basis, analytical approaches, and clinical evidence regarding ctDNA in stage II colon cancer. We particularly emphasize prospective studies and randomized controlled trials.

RESULTS: Postoperative ctDNA positivity is strongly associated with increased recurrence risk and provides superior prognostic stratification compared with conventional clinicopathologic factors. Prospective studies have demonstrated that ctDNA-positive patients experience substantially higher recurrence rates, with the GALAXY study reporting a hazard ratio of 11.99 (95% CI: 8.83-16.27) for disease-free survival among patients with postoperative molecular residual disease. The DYNAMIC trial demonstrated that ctDNA-guided management reduces adjuvant chemotherapy use without compromising recurrence-free survival. However, current evidence suggests an important asymmetry in clinical utility. ctDNA negativity may support treatment de-escalation. In contrast, ctDNA positivity has not yet reliably identified patients who benefit from treatment escalation.

CONCLUSIONS: ctDNA constitutes a robust prognostic biomarker in stage II colon cancer and supports risk-adapted postoperative management. However, its predictive value for guiding treatment escalation remains unproven. Integration with clinicopathologic and molecular features is essential before routine clinical implementation.

PMID:42798930 | PMC:PMC13613144 | DOI:10.3389/fonc.2026.1908802