METHOD FOR MINIMAL RESIDUAL DISEASE DETECTION IN CANCER PATIENTS

Minimal residual disease (MRD) indicates the presence of cancer cells during or after cancer treatment that are not visible by imaging tests. The detection of MRD has become a specialised test to assess the risk of relapse and to establish more effective treatment. It is currently performed using flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. These traditional methods based on reported tumour profiles or customised panels tend to underestimate tumour heterogeneity and clonal evolution, thus reducing their ability to identify MRD in patients who subsequently experience recurrences. Although detection of MRD by circulating DNA (ctDNA) analysis has proven to be crucial in identifying patients at high risk of relapse, current methods show significant limitations in sensitivity, especially in patients after surgery.