RESUMO
Objective: To investigate the application of single-molecule PCR (SM-PCR) in the detection of plasma ctDNA for the treat-ment of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: In total, 30 patients diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled between June 2017 and May 2018. ctDNA fragments of the target genes (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, ALK, HER2, and TP53) from the blood samples were enriched by SM-PCR, and DNA libraries were prepared. Finally, a high-throughput sequencing was performed. The EGFR detection of tumor tissue samples was performed using real-time fluorescence PCR based on the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and consistency in the results of EGFR mutation detection in the plasma and tissue was compared. Results:The results of both the methods were consistent (Kappa=0.867, P<0.001). The McNemar's test also indicated that the results are not statistically different (P=0.500). Conclusions: SM-PCR can be used for the detection of plasma EGFR mutations. The target detection sites are more comprehensive and multiple mutations can be detected at the same time. Results of the analysis are more precise and can be absolutely quantified.