VIII FERO Grant – Dr. César Serrano

Tumors do not have the same type of alterations distributed homogeneously. This implies, on the one hand, that a single tumor sample may not be representative of what is happening in the patient. And, on the other hand, that a single drug may not be completely effective against the wide variety of mechanisms that contribute to tumor growth. However, all tumors release their genetic material, known as circulating tumor DNA, into the bloodstream. The objective of this project is to develop liquid biopsy as a method to guide specific cancer treatments.

Using this technology, alterations in circulating tumor DNA were analyzed in blood samples from patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) to identify in real-time which part of the tumor is causing problems for the patient and to administer targeted therapies at the appropriate time. The study of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood samples represents a further step towards personalized medicine in cancer.