Dr. Barzi on the Need for More Sensitive MRD Testing in CRC

Afsaneh Barzi, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, director, AccessHope, associate professor, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, discusses the need for more sensitive minimal residual disease (MRD) testing in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Although MRD testing has become more common in CRC, there is room for improvement in terms of enhancing the validity of the predictions obtained from available assays, Barzi says. Data from the TRACC trial (NCT04050345) presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting showed that 9% of patients with stage II/III CRC who were MRD negative following surgeryrelapsed, Barzi says. Seventeen percent of patients with stage III disease who were MRD negative relapsed, Barzi adds.

These results emphasize that the risk of relapse in patients who are MRD negative is not zero, according to Barzi. Additionally, the data underscore the need for more sensitive MRD testing to better identify patients who are at a higher risk of relapse who could benefit from adjuvant treatment, Barzi concludes.