Healthcare giant Abbot has commercially launched its Oncodetect molecular residual disease test.
Abbott, which earlier this year acquired Madison’s Exact Sciences, described the test as “a personalized, tumor-informed, whole-genome sequencing test” designed to detect any recurrence of cancer after treatment.
For cancer patients, it will help answer the fundamental question they face after treatment: Is my cancer really gone?
Abbott said that even after treatment, small amounts of cancer may remain in the body at levels that can be difficult to detect.
The MRD test, developed by Exact Sciences, looks for traces of circulating tumor DNA, also known as ctDNA, in the blood.
This provides additional information that can help physicians understand the chances of recurrence, continue to monitor the treatment response, and help them decide the next course of action.
Abbott estimates that more than 3 million U.S. patients with solid tumors could benefit from MRD testing after their treatment.
