Measurable Residual Disease Testing

As the use of biomarker testing options in the treatment of certain cancers continues to grow, so too do barriers to their use. Underpinning these barriers is a lack of understanding about how biomarker testing works and what impact it can have on selecting the most promising cancer treatment options.  

Measurable residual disease (also known as “minimal residual disease”) refers to the number of cancer cells that remain during and after cancer treatment. Complete remission (less than 5% blasts in bone marrow) by morphologic assessment is not enough to accurately depict remaining malignant cells. MRD speaks to deeper levels of sensitivity to detect disease. 

Monitoring a patient’s MRD at various points throughout active treatment and into remission provides important personalized insights into the effectiveness of a given therapy and may be used to predict which patients are at risk of relapse. Testing for MRD can shape treatment choices and overall patient management to achieve better outcomes. Unfortunately, routine MRD testing is variable, and there are currently no standards for optimal MRD testing.