Evolving Role of Circulating Tumor DNA and Emerging Targeted Therapy in Colorectal Cancer

This review provides a high level overview of several applications of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. ctDNA has been shown to be a promising prognostic biomarker for detection of minimal residual disease, monitoring for early recurrence and response monitoring in metastatic disease. Prospective studies are ongoing to investigate the ability of ctDNA to inform clinical decision making. This article also reviews existing and emerging alterations in CRC and their respective therapeutic approaches.