# Detection of KRAS, NRAS and BRAF Mutations in Liquid Biopsy from Patients with Colorectal Cancer

## TL;DR

This study evaluates the use of liquid biopsy and ddPCR to detect cancer-related mutations in colorectal cancer patients.

## Contribution

The study introduces droplet digital PCR as a complementary method for detecting KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutations in circulating tumor DNA.

## Key findings

- ddPCR achieved 72.0% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity for KRAS mutations.
- Overall sensitivity and specificity for all mutations were 48.3% and 51.1%, respectively.
- Liquid biopsy with ddPCR provides complementary molecular diagnosis information for CRC patients.

## Abstract

Cancer treatment relies heavily on accurate diagnosis and effective monitoring of the disease. These processes often involve invasive procedures, such as colonoscopy, to detect malignant tissues, followed by molecular analyses to determine relevant biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for detecting Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Proto-Oncogene (KRAS), Neuroblastoma RAS Viral Oncogene Homolog (NRAS), and B-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B (BRAF) mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from colorectal cancer patients using liquid biopsy.

ctDNA was isolated from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients (n = 110) and analyzed for KRAS, BRAF, and NRAS mutations. The ctDNA obtained through liquid biopsy was analyzed using ddPCR, and the findings were compared with sequencing data from tumor DNA archived in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks.

For KRAS mutations, ddPCR achieved a sensitivity of 72.0% and a specificity of 71.4%. However, when pooling all target mutations (KRAS, NRAS and BRAF), the overall sensitivity and specificity were lower, at 48.3% and 51.1%, respectively.

The results of this study indicate that the ddPCR analysis of ctDNA may provide complementary information for the molecular diagnosis of CRC patients.