News Releases & Research Results Launch of CIRCULATE-Japan, a new project for personalized cancer treatment by liquid biopsy - Launch of the world’s largest investigator-initiated international joint trial on invisible cancers -

• National Cancer Center Hospital East will launch “CIRCULATE-Japan” project to realize personalized cancer treatment using a technology (liquid biopsy) for testing circulating tumor DNA in the blood of patients who undergo surgery for colorectal cancer.
• The world’s largest investigator-initiated international joint trial will be launched on “invisible cancers” (postoperative minimal residual disease), determined to be free of recurrence by current diagnostic imaging techniques and tumor marker tests, in cooperation with about 150 facilities in Japan and overseas (including one facility in Taiwan).
• Specifically, cancer-derived gene abnormalities will be identified in about 2,500 colorectal cancer patients to create original gene panels for each patient for periodic examination of gene abnormalities.
• If the clinical usefulness of recurrence risk assessment by liquid biopsy is demonstrated for “invisible cancers,” postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy may be omitted or reduced and recurrences can be detected early.

This project is conducted with the support of the Practical Research for Innovative Cancer Control by AMED.