What is MRD? MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) refers to disease cells that may remain in the body after treatment, even when the patient appears to be in remission and there are no visible signs of the disease in routine tests.
The MRD Panel is used to detect these cells at very low levels, providing a more sensitive assessment of the response to treatment.
What is it used for? MRD is primarily used to monitor certain hematological diseases, particularly:
How is the test performed? Depending on the disease and the method used, the sample may be:
MRD can be assessed using different methods, including:
The method is selected according to the type of disease and its molecular characteristics.
When is it recommended? MRD may be performed:
Why is MRD important? MRD provides a much more sensitive assessment than routine tests for determining whether any disease remains after treatment. This can help the medical team monitor the response to treatment more accurately and assess the risk of relapse.
MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) refers to the presence of a very small number of disease cells that may remain in the body after treatment.
MRD is used to assess how well the disease has responded to treatment and to monitor whether any disease cells remain at very low levels.
MRD may be used particularly in hematological diseases such as:
Depending on the disease and the testing method, the sample may be collected from peripheral blood or bone marrow.
No, fasting is not required for sample collection.
If a blood sample is collected, the procedure is similar to a routine blood test and causes only mild discomfort. If a bone marrow aspirate is required, the procedure is performed by a specialist physician.
Depending on the disease, MRD can be analyzed using:
An MRD-negative result means that no disease cells were detected above the detection limit of the method used.
This is generally a positive indicator of response to treatment, but it does not guarantee that no disease cells remain in the body.
An MRD-positive result indicates that disease cells have been detected at a measurable level. This result may be important for assessing the risk of relapse and planning further treatment.
Not necessarily. MRD may be detected even when the patient is considered to be in clinical remission. The hematologist interprets the result in relation to the patient's disease history and previous results.
The physician may recommend it:
Yes. MRD is often used as a monitoring test, so depending on the disease and treatment protocol, it may be repeated at different intervals.
No. MRD is part of the overall evaluation of the patient and may be combined with blood tests, immunophenotyping, molecular tests, cytogenetic analysis, and other examinations.
The result should be interpreted by a hematologist/oncologist in combination with the diagnosis, treatment, and results of other tests.
No. A negative result is a very important indicator of response to treatment, but it does not guarantee the complete absence of disease or rule out the possibility of relapse. For this reason, continued medical follow-up remains important.
