Leonard G. Gomella, MD, presented “Utilizing ctDNA in Bladder Cancer” during the 24th Future Directions in Urology Symposium in August 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
How to cite: Gomella, Leonard G. “Utilizing ctDNA in Bladder Cancer.” August 2024. Accessed Dec 2025. https://grandroundsinurology.com/utilizing-ctdna-in-bladder-cancer/
Utilizing ctDNA in Bladder Cancer – Summary
Leonard G. Gomella, MD, FACS, explores the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as biomarkers in cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and prognosis.
In this 12-minute presentation, Dr. Gomella reviews recent studies, such as those conducted at the European Association of Urology (EAU), demonstrating ctDNA’s potential for early detection, risk assessment, treatment response evaluation, and post-treatment surveillance in bladder cancer. Trials such as InVigor010 highlight ctDNA’s prognostic utility, where analysis revealed that ctDNA positivity predicted a higher risk of relapse.
Gomella reports that innovations extend to ctDNA detection in urine, offering a non-invasive method to monitor disease burden. These developments and the integration of advanced sequencing technologies mark a new era in cancer management, facilitating earlier interventions and more effective treatment planning.
The Future Directions in Urology Symposium (FDUS) is an annual urology think tank and non-CME educational summit that brings together industry figures and experts to discuss the current state of genitourinary care and define future directions in treatment. Dr. Dreicer delivered this educational activity during the 24th iteration of the meeting in August 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leonard G. Gomella, MD, FACS, completed medical school and general surgery and urology training at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. After a urologic oncology fellowship in the surgery branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Gomella is currently the Bernard W. Godwin, Jr. Professor of Prostate Cancer, Chairman of the Department of Urology, Senior Director of Clinical Affairs for the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Enterprise VP of Urology at the Jefferson Health System, at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
