About the Article
Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) and Early Diagnosis
It refers to the extremely small number of cancer cells remaining in the body that can only be found with a microscope or molecular (DNA) tests. Even if there is just 1 cancer cell hiding among 1 million healthy cells in your body, this cell can wake up and multiply years later, causing the cancer to erupt again.
Older MRI or PET machines can only see tumors that have reached a certain size (the size of a pea). Today, thanks to "Liquid Biopsy" and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, the free DNA (ctDNA) of that sparse cancerous cell circulating in the blood can be found by taking just one tube of blood from the patient, detecting the hidden risk.
If the MRD test comes back "positive (cells present)" at the end of treatment, this is a strong signal that the cancer will return soon. Doctors can increase the patient's chemotherapy dose, switch to targeted smart drugs, or decide on a bone marrow transplant to completely uproot the disease without waiting for the cancer to relapse (grow).
The information on this page is for general health advice. Please consult specialized physicians for personalized treatment or advice.
