Attitudes of cancer patients toward ctDNA-based liquid biopsy for follow-up.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
- 2Center of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.
- 3Center for Oncological Research, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
- 4Department of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
Abstract
Circulating tumor DNA-based liquid biopsy is increasingly integrated into cancer care, particularly for detecting minimal residual disease, yet patient perspectives remain poorly understood. This single-center, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study assessed recall, knowledge, and attitudes toward liquid biopsy and circulating tumor DNA among 195 patients (median age 65 years; 63% female) undergoing cancer treatment or follow-up, supplemented by focus groups. Although 65% reported prior liquid biopsy, this was confirmed in only 44%, and only 10% had heard of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Correct recall and knowledge on ctDNA were higher among patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms and those with postgraduate education. In hypothetical scenarios assuming proven clinical validity and utility, 62-80% supported liquid biopsy-guided clinical action, 74% were comfortable with liquid biopsy replacing tissue biopsy, and 79% accepted its use to guide adjuvant treatment. Most patients anticipated reassurance rather than stress, and 85% expected improved quality of life with home- or general practitioner-based blood sampling. Overall, patients showed high acceptance of clinically actionable liquid biopsy use, driven by trust and perceived clinical benefit.
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BibTeX
@article{chhajlani2026attitudes,
title = {{Attitudes of cancer patients toward ctDNA-based liquid biopsy for follow-up.}},
author = {Siddharth Chhajlani and Laura Mariën and Caro De Weerdt and Sanne Wouters and Laure-Anne Teuwen and Hans Prenen and Katleen Janssens and Timon Vandamme},
journal = {Molecular oncology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/1878-0261.70352},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905048},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Attitudes of cancer patients toward ctDNA-based liquid biopsy for follow-up.
AU - Siddharth Chhajlani
AU - Laura Mariën
AU - Caro De Weerdt
AU - Sanne Wouters
AU - Laure-Anne Teuwen
AU - Hans Prenen
AU - Katleen Janssens
AU - Timon Vandamme
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Molecular oncology
DO - 10.1002/1878-0261.70352
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905048
AB - Circulating tumor DNA-based liquid biopsy is increasingly integrated into cancer care, particularly for detecting minimal residual disease, yet patient perspectives remain poorly understood. This single-center, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study assessed recall, knowledge, and attitudes toward liquid biopsy and circulating tumor DNA among 195 patients (median age 65 years; 63% female) undergoing cancer treatment or follow-up, supplemented by focus groups. Although 65% reported prior liquid biopsy, this was confirmed in only 44%, and only 10% had heard of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Correct recall and knowledge on ctDNA were higher among patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms and those with postgraduate education. In hypothetical scenarios assuming proven clinical validity and utility, 62-80% supported liquid biopsy-guided clinical action, 74% were comfortable with liquid biopsy replacing tissue biopsy, and 79% accepted its use to guide adjuvant treatment. Most patients anticipated reassurance rather than stress, and 85% expected improved quality of life with home- or general practitioner-based blood sampling. Overall, patients showed high acceptance of clinically actionable liquid biopsy use, driven by trust and perceived clinical benefit.
SN - 1574-7891
SN - 1878-0261
ER -