Molecular Residual Disease Testing: Innovations, Clinical Adoption, and the Role of Pathology-FSP Precision Medicine Speaker #4 - Molecular Residual Disease Testing

FSP Precision Medicine Speaker #4 - Molecular Residual Disease Testing - Joe Lennerz

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker argues that pathology is undergoing a major shift. Traditionally, pathologists diagnose, grade, stage, and then largely step out of patient care after surgery. New molecular residual disease (MRD) testing changes that by using tissue from the original tumor to create a personalized blood test that can detect tiny traces of cancer after treatment. This can guide surveillance and, in some cases, trigger earlier intervention before metastasis becomes visible. The speaker distinguishes MRD testing from comprehensive genomic profiling, which is used mainly in advanced cancer. They describe studies showing that MRD status predicts outcomes and can improve survival when treatment is given based on molecular positivity. The talk also highlights large-scale data, AI analysis of histology, and how future pathology reports may combine slide-based predictions with serial MRD results to better forecast recurrence and personalize care.

Keywords

pathology

molecular residual disease

MRD testing

cancer recurrence

genomic profiling

personalized surveillance