Dr. Eroglu on the Utilization of ctDNA in Melanoma

Zeynep Eroglu, MD, medical oncologist, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, assistant professor, Department of Oncologic Sciences, the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, discusses the utilization of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with melanoma.

Identifying a noninvasive biomarker, which are seen in other solid tumors, remains a challenge for patients with melanoma, Eroglu says. As a result, imaging or clinical exams are utilized to monitor patients for recurrence or progression while on treatment or following surgery, Eroglu explains. Time limits the frequency PET or CT scans that can be conducted on a given patient, making those methods less reliable for identifying disease recurrence or progression, Eroglu adds.

The hope is to use ctDNA is to detect relapse earlier or show how a patient may be responding to a treatment, like immunotherapy, without the burden of time between imaging scans, Eroglu continues. Addiontally, ctDNA could provide patients with melanoma a minimally invasive way to monitor and characterize disease status, Eroglue concludes.