Minimal residual disease

Abstract

Disease relapse remains a major problem in a significant proportion of patients treated for cancer. Molecular monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD), usually using a real-time quantitative PCR-based approach, is an important tool for risk stratification and prognostication and can be used as a guide for optimizing clinical management in these patients. Most MRD monitoring is currently performed in patients with leukemia and lymphoma, while neuroblastoma is the only nonhematologic malignancy for which molecular testing for MRD is well established.