How Minimal Residual Disease Assessment Emerged as an Important Tool for Blood Cancers
Previous sequencing efforts
Next-generation sequencing plays a major role in MRD. The technologies used for next-generation sequencing are also being used by cancer researchers to run through an individual’s DNA and look for cancerous cells in the same way it might be used to identify any other disease.
Previously, scientists had a difficult time detecting cancerous cells in patients because of the effort associated with sequencing DNA. Because of this, the standard for acceptable MRD was much higher and patients might be declared cancer free when they could actually still have some cancerous cells.
