Cancer care is shifting beyond the detection of visible disease. A new generation of molecular residual disease, or MRD, testing can detect tiny traces of ctDNA that may remain during or after treatment, offering an additional way to identify disease when traditional approaches may not yet reveal it. Dr. Rick Baehner, Divisional Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Precision Oncology, Abbott cancer diagnostics, explores why MRD represents the next chapter of precision oncology and how the next-generation Oncodetect® test could help move cancer care from reactive treatment toward more proactive monitoring.
In this video interview with Kelly Hogan of Fierce Healthcare, Baehner explains how MRD testing can provide molecular insights into some of oncology's most pressing questions: Is treatment working? Is cancer truly gone? Has disease returned? He also explores why sensitivity is critical, particularly when tumor burden is low, including in low-shedding cancers and as ctDNA levels fall during and after treatment.
Baehner explores the science behind whole-genome sequencing-based MRD tests and looks ahead to what broader adoption could mean for oncology workflows, clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. As MRD testing becomes more integrated into everyday care, he argues that cancer monitoring may become as individualized as cancer treatment itself. Watch the interview to learn why the next era of oncology may be defined not only by how we treat cancer, but by how quickly and intelligently we anticipate its return.
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