Dory Abelman, PhD candidate, speaks with ecancer on recent advances in minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in myeloma.

Traditional MRD detection methods, such as cancer cell counting through multi-parameter flow cytometry, are now complemented by innovative techniques like mass spectrometry of peripheral blood plasma and cell-free DNA analysis, which provide a less invasive approach.

Key challenges remain, including the limited presence of tumour-derived material in peripheral blood at MRD timepoints and the need for precise mutation identification. Current methods, such as detecting tumour-specific DNA fragments or proteins in blood plasma, are being benchmarked against traditional bone marrow–derived techniques in an ongoing observational study to evaluate their accuracy and impact on patient outcomes.

Abelman envisions a future where MRD detection is driven by minimally invasive blood tests and highly refined DNA analysis techniques.