Xinhua News Agency, Melbourne, October 28 (Reporter Xu Haijing) Australia's Walter and Eliza Hall Medical Research Institute recently issued a statement saying that an international study led by the institution found that by conducting blood tests on patients with colon cancer after surgery, doctors can formulate precise treatment plans accordingly to improve the quality of life of patients.

This clinical trial involved more than 1,000 patients with stage 3 colon cancer from Australia, New Zealand and Canada who were given blood samples about 6 weeks after primary colon cancer removal to determine whether a tiny fragment of cancer cell DNA (ctDNA) was still present in their blood. Patients who did not find cctDNA in their blood tests were classified as low-risk, but were classified as high-risk. They were then randomly assigned, partly undergoing routine treatment, and partly undergoing accurate treatment schemes based on their own examination results.

The study found that low-risk patients who received precision treatment had a good follow-up condition, and 87% of them did not see cancer recurrence three years after surgery.

"We currently administer the same chemotherapy to most stage 3 patients, but ctDNA testing can help tailor the treatment plan to the patient," said Jenny Dee, a professor at the institute. She added that for some patients, low-intensity treatment methods may be enough, and precise treatment plans can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy drugs and improve the quality of life of patients.

The results of this study have been published in the British journal Nature Medicine.