Circulating Tumor DNA Mutation Analysis: Advances in Its Application for Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Therapeutic Efficacy Monitoring

In recent years, the detection and analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have emerged as a new focus in the field of cancer research, particularly in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and monitoring of therapeutic efficacy. ctDNA, which refers to cell-free DNA fragments released into the bloodstream from tumor cells upon cell death or shedding, carries tumor-specific genetic and epigenetic alterations, thereby providing a non-invasive approach for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The concentration of ctDNA in the blood is higher compared to that in healthy individuals or other liquid biopsies from early-stage cancers, which is closely associated with the early diagnosis and comprehensive sequencing studies of HCC. Recent studies have indicated that sequential ctDNA analysis in patients receiving primary or adjuvant therapy for HCC can detect treatment resistance and recurrence before visible morphological changes in the tumor, making it a valuable basis for rapid adjustment of treatment strategies. However, this technology is continuously being optimized and improved. Challenges such as enhancing the accuracy of ctDNA sequencing tests, reducing the burden of high-throughput sequencing on a large number of samples, and controlling variables in the assessment of the relationship between ctDNA concentration and tumor burden, need to be addressed. Overall, despite the existing challenges, the examination and analysis of ctDNA have opened up new avenues for early diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy monitoring in hepatocellular carcinoma, expanding the horizons of this field.