Personalis’ NeXT Personal® Demonstrates 100% Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer Relapses Ahead of Imaging in Interim VICTORI Study Results
Presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Chicago, Illinois, the findings show that the NeXT Personal assay detected 100% of relapses in participating patients before such recurrences were visible via conventional imaging techniques. The data was shared during an oral presentation by Emma Titmuss, a clinical researcher at BC Cancer, under the title “Detection of Post-Surgical Minimal Residual Disease in Colorectal Cancer: Preliminary Results from the VICTORI Study.”
The VICTORI study is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Loree, MD, MS, a medical oncologist at BC Cancer in Vancouver, Canada. The trial is evaluating the utility of ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy technology in the post-surgical management of patients with resectable Stage I-IV colorectal cancer. Personalis’ proprietary NeXT Personal assay—known for its ability to detect extremely low levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)—was used to analyze blood samples from 71 CRC patients participating in the study.
“The early detection of recurrence in colorectal cancer is a critical challenge in oncology today,” said Dr. Loree. “What we’re seeing in the VICTORI study is that ctDNA-based liquid biopsy can serve as a powerful predictive tool. This technology may enable clinicians to identify which patients are at high risk of relapse and might benefit from additional treatment—and just as importantly, which patients might be spared from the side effects of unnecessary chemotherapy.”
NeXT Personal: A Next-Generation MRD Detection Tool
NeXT Personal is an ultra-sensitive, tumor-informed assay developed by Personalis to detect minimal residual disease and monitor for recurrence with high specificity and sensitivity. Unlike conventional imaging—which may fail to detect microscopic disease until it has progressed—NeXT Personal is designed to pick up even trace levels of ctDNA shed by cancer cells into the bloodstream. This allows clinicians to detect the return of cancer earlier and make better-informed decisions about adjuvant therapy, surveillance, or surgical intervention.
In the VICTORI study, all patient samples were analyzed post-surgically, with NeXT Personal used to identify the presence of ctDNA, a biomarker indicating the potential for residual disease. The assay detected recurrence in all cases where patients eventually experienced relapse, with a significant lead time over imaging. This result highlights the potential for liquid biopsy to transform post-operative surveillance in colorectal cancer.
“These interim results from the VICTORI study underscore the potential of NeXT Personal to redefine how we manage colorectal cancer in the clinic,” said Christopher Hall, CEO of Personalis. “By detecting relapse early and reliably, we can help clinicians intervene sooner and give patients a better chance at long-term remission or even cure.”
Clinical Impact: Improving Patient Outcomes
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common and deadly forms of cancer globally, with millions diagnosed each year. While surgery is often curative in early stages, recurrence remains a significant risk—especially among Stage II and III patients. Identifying those at highest risk of recurrence after resection can help guide more personalized and effective treatment strategies.
“After surgery, ctDNA-based liquid biopsies may help identify patients who would benefit most from additional treatment,” Dr. Loree emphasized. “Alternatively, this may help patients with a good prognosis avoid toxicities from unnecessary chemotherapy. By monitoring patients for recurrences, liquid biopsies can continue to support clinical care and allow more patients to undergo second curative intent surgeries to remove early recurrences.”
Importantly, earlier detection of recurrence could open the door for secondary curative treatments such as metastasectomy—removal of newly emerging metastatic tumors—which can significantly improve long-term survival.
The Study: Cohort, Methodology, and Implications
The VICTORI study enrolled 71 patients diagnosed with Stage I-IV colorectal cancer who had undergone surgical resection. Using patient-specific tumor profiles generated from whole exome sequencing of tumor tissue, the NeXT Personal assay was able to build individualized panels to monitor ctDNA levels over time in each patient’s blood samples.
Participants were monitored at regular intervals, and the presence or absence of ctDNA was compared with standard imaging results and clinical outcomes. The data presented at AACR revealed that in all instances where cancer recurrence occurred, NeXT Personal detected ctDNA prior to radiographic confirmation—sometimes by several months.
This kind of lead time can be invaluable for both patients and clinicians. Earlier intervention often means the difference between localized treatment and widespread metastasis, and in many cases, the possibility of cure versus chronic disease management.
Dr. Emma Titmuss, who presented the findings, highlighted the real-world implications of the research: “These results speak to the power of personalized, precision diagnostics in the post-treatment setting. With ctDNA, we can provide actionable information that improves how we treat and follow up with colorectal cancer patients.”
Broader Applications in Oncology
While the VICTORI study focuses on colorectal cancer, the implications of this research extend to many other solid tumors. Personalis is currently expanding the application of NeXT Personal to include breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers, among others. The core technology, which relies on deep genomic profiling of tumors, can be adapted to monitor different cancer types with high sensitivity.
“We’re entering a new era in oncology where ctDNA-guided care is becoming not just possible but essential,” said Hall. “Personalis is committed to pioneering this space and bringing solutions to market that offer patients earlier answers and better outcomes.”
In addition to academic partnerships such as the one with BC Cancer, Personalis is working with leading cancer centers and biopharmaceutical companies to integrate NeXT Personal into clinical trials and treatment protocols.
The interim findings from the VICTORI study offer compelling evidence that ctDNA monitoring with Personalis’ NeXT Personal can play a transformative role in post-surgical colorectal cancer care. With 100% detection of relapse ahead of imaging in the study cohort, the assay demonstrates its potential to significantly improve patient outcomes by guiding earlier, more precise interventions.
As precision oncology continues to evolve, tools like NeXT Personal are set to redefine standards of care—bringing us closer to a future where recurrence can be caught early enough to change the course of disease and restore hope for patients around the world.
Key findings presented from the interim analysis for VICTORI:
- 100% of patients who have recurred were detected as ctDNA positive by NeXT Personal prior to detection on imaging.
- 100% of patients who have been ctDNA negative throughout the study remain disease-free.
- 87% of clinical recurrences were detectable within the early “landmark window” 2 to 8 weeks after surgery, with 85% detectable by 4 weeks.
- 64% of detections within the landmark window were in the ultrasensitive range (under 100 ppm).
- 100% of distant metastatic recurrences were detected prior to imaging, including lung metastasis, an area which has traditionally been more challenging to detect by ctDNA testing.
- 70% of the first ctDNA detections were in the ultrasensitive range, with a median of 24.4PPM and as low as 2.45 PPM.
