Comparison of Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations of Primary Tumors and Matched Plasma Samples in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Although recent advances in circulating DNA analysis allow the prediction of tumor genomes by noninvasive means, some challenges remain, which limit the widespread introduction of cfDNA in cancer diagnostics. We analyzed the status of the two best characterized colorectal cancer (CRC) genetic and epigenetic alterations in a cohort of CRC patients, and then compared the degree to which the two patterns move from tissue to plasma in order to improve our understanding of biology modulating the concordance between tissues and plasma methylation and mutation profiles. analysis. mutation load, especially in early stage cancers (p=0.0108). mutation profile. The present study highlights the importance of considering the nature of the alteration when analyzing tumor-derived cfDNA