From plasma to prognosis in B-cell lymphoma
From plasma to prognosis in B-cell lymphoma
Lymphoma is currently diagnosed using tissue biopsies and monitored during treatment with PET/CT scans. Although these methods are highly valuable, they may miss very small amounts of remaining disease or detect abnormalities that are not caused by cancer. In this thesis of Nick Veltmaat, we investigated whether a bloodplasma test could provide additional information about the presence and activity of lymphoma.
Tumor cells release small fragments of DNA into the bloodstream, known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). By analysing ctDNA, lymphoma can be detected and monitored in a minimally invasive way. To improve the sensitivity of this approach, we developed a new analytical method called MNVista, which identifies highly specific DNA mutation patterns and is able to detect extremely small amounts of tumor DNA.
Using this technique, we studied several types of B-cell lymphoma. We demonstrated that ctDNA not only accurately reflects the genetic characteristics of the tumor but can also be more sensitive than current clinical methods for monitoring treatment response and detecting residual disease.
One of the most remarkable findings was that ctDNA could already be detected in blood samples collected years before lymphoma was diagnosed. In two-thirds of the patients studied, ctDNA was present before diagnosis, and in one case around 9 years earlier. Using our method, we showed that lymphoma can leave detectable molecular traces long before symptoms develop.
These findings contribute to the development of more accurate, less invasive, and more personalised approaches for the diagnosis and monitoring of lymphoma patients.