To observe the consistency between circulating tumor cells (CTC) drug sensitivity testing and clinical chemotherapy effectiveness in advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients.

A retrospective analysis was conducted in 31 advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients who received inpatient chemotherapy in the Department of Gastroenterology, the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from May 2022 to September 2023. The results of CTC drug sensitivity testing were compared with clinical outcomes.

The overall concordance rate was 64.5% (20/31), with a positive result concordance rate of 59.1% (13/22) and a negative result concordance rate of 77.8% (7/9). The consistent coincidence rate was 60.0% (6/10) in gastric cancer and 66.7% (14/21) in bowel cancer. The coincidence rate of clinical efficacy and CTC drug sensitivity was 68.4% (13/19) in first-line treatment, 71.4% (5/7) in second-line treatment, and 60.0% (3/5) in third-line and post-line treatment.

CTC drug sensitivity testing has certain guiding significance in predicting the efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients and deserves further clinical validation.