Circulating tumor cells (CTC) and KRAS mutant circulating free DNA (cfDNA) detection in peripheral blood as biomarkers in patients diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic cancer

摘要

BackgroundPancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat with the poorest prognosis. The key to improving survival rates in this disease is early detection and monitoring of disseminated and residual disease. However, this is hindered due to lack reliable diagnostic and predictive markers which mean that the majority of patients succumb to their condition within a few months.