A positive MRD result most directly indicates the presence of what?

A positive MRD result most directly indicates the presence of what?

• A. Circulating tumor DNA and residual disease
• B. Germline mutation burden
• C. Complete remission
• D. No detectable disease

Answer: (A)

MRD testing looks for tiny amounts of cancer left after treatment. A positive MRD result directly indicates circulating tumor DNA and residual disease, showing that cancer cells persist at a low level even after therapy. This is different from germline mutation burden, which reflects inherited variants and not tumor-specific DNA. It also contradicts complete remission, since remission implies no detectable disease, whereas a positive MRD finding means disease is still detectable, just at very low levels. No detectable disease would be the opposite of a positive MRD result. In practice, MRD status helps gauge prognosis and guide further treatment decisions.

MRD testing looks for tiny amounts of cancer left after treatment. A positive MRD result directly indicates circulating tumor DNA and residual disease, showing that cancer cells persist at a low level even after therapy. This is different from germline mutation burden, which reflects inherited variants and not tumor-specific DNA. It also contradicts complete remission, since remission implies no detectable disease, whereas a positive MRD finding means disease is still detectable, just at very low levels. No detectable disease would be the opposite of a positive MRD result. In practice, MRD status helps gauge prognosis and guide further treatment decisions.