{
  "abstract": "The management of early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) is undergoing a significant transformation, from traditional clinical and pathological staging to a dynamic, molecular signature-driven approach utilizing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Postoperative detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) has emerged as a strong independent prognostic biomarker. It identifies patients at high risk of recurrence while reducing unnecessary exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy for those cured by surgery alone. However, this success reveals a critical therapeutic dilemma. Standard adjuvant chemotherapy has a limited ability to eliminate MRD. Consequently, the molecularly defined high-risk subgroup currently has no proven therapy that effectively eradicates MRD and improves survival. In this review, we synthesize emerging therapeutic strategies designed to address this unmet need. We discuss ongoing clinical trials investigating intensified cytotoxic regimens, MRD-guided targeted therapies, and novel immunotherapy combinations, especially for microsatellite-stable (MSS) disease. Furthermore, this review examines the role of ctDNA dynamics as a surrogate endpoint for regulatory drug approval, a crucial step in accelerating the development of these novel therapies. Finally, we address the real-world challenges of implementation, including access disparities, equity gaps, and standardized clinical algorithms. We highlight how emerging technologies and global collaborations may further refine MRD detection. The eradication of MRD represents the next frontier in curing CRC; however, this demands focused clinical research and validated surrogate endpoints to translate prognostic insights into tangible survival benefits.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il 55473, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Aljouf 72388, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il 55473, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il 55473, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il 55473, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il 55473, Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yusuf Saleem Khan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Aisha Farhana"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Hatim Adam Nagi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Alfatih Mohamed Ahmed Alnajib"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Tarig Ginawi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Abuzar Abdulwahab Osman"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Abdullah Alsrhani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Emad Manni"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ecgk6hp122h40.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.cpt.2026.07.003",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13717014/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "ecgk6hp122h40",
  "issns": [
    "2097-2563",
    "2949-7132"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13717014",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Review Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2730|Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7170145312",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13717014/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13717014",
  "pmid": "42959434",
  "published": "2026-07-23",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ecgk6hp122h40.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:39Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13717014",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13717014"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:46Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42959434",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959434"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:21:24Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13717014",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpt.2026.07.003"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2730|Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies",
      "subfield": "oncology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Targeting minimal residual disease (MRD) in colorectal cancer: Therapeutic strategies, clinical trials, and the path toward molecular cure",
  "title_text": "Targeting minimal residual disease (MRD) in colorectal cancer: Therapeutic strategies, clinical trials, and the path toward molecular cure",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-02T12:21:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ecgk6hp122h40",
  "venue": "Cancer pathogenesis and therapy",
  "versions": []
}