A new, ultrasensitive blood test checks for cancer cells remaining in the body after multiple myeloma treatment using blood samples instead of more invasive bone marrow biopsies, helping doctors assess relapse risk and monitor treatment response.
Quest Diagnostics said its Flow Cytometry MRD for Myeloma test detects minimal residual disease (MRD), the small number of cancer cells that can remain in the body after treatment and potentially lead to relapse, “at a fraction of the cost” of other methods.
“Our Flow Cytometry MRD for Myeloma test harnesses cutting-edge science and technology to deliver ultrasensitive insights from a noninvasive blood test, thereby improving care and value for patients and the healthcare system,” Yuri Fesko, MD, Quest’s senior vice president and chief medical officer, said in a company press release.
Myeloma occurs when plasma cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies to help the body fight off infections, grow out of control in bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside some bones where blood cells are formed. Typically, masses of cancer cells are present in more than one bone marrow location, and the condition is called multiple myeloma.
1 cell in a million
Disease diagnosis commonly involves flow cytometry methods to detect cancer cells present in bone marrow biopsies. This laboratory method rapidly analyzes physical and chemical characteristics of individual cells, and is used to count, sort, and profile cell populations. Genetic sequencing on bone marrow biopsies is also used in the diagnostic process.
The new test uses next-generation flow cytometry techniques, highly sensitive and automated methodologies that can detect cancer cells in blood samples instead of bone marrow, making it less invasive. According to the company, the test can detect one cell in a million, and maintains sample stability for up to five days — longer than previous flow cytometry tests.
Unlike genetic sequencing, the test does not need a pre-treatment sample, a key advantage for patients who have already started treatment and need to begin monitoring.
The company said the test could also be used to monitor patients’ clinical response in trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently provided guidance on using MRD as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials to support earlier approval of multiple myeloma treatments. A surrogate marker is a laboratory measurement used as a substitute for clinically meaningful endpoints, such as survival or disease progression, expected to predict the actual clinical benefit.
MRD negativity, meaning no myeloma cells detected after treatment, is significantly associated with increased patients’ survival and survival without a relapse.
“The sensitivity, cost, and sample stability that we can now offer to patients and their care team will help those suffering from this potentially devastating condition,” said Timothy Looney, PhD, senior director of immuno-oncology at Quest.
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