Fox Chase Cancer Center and Labcorp launch study of ultra-sensitive blood test for early-stage lung cancer recurrence

Fox Chase Cancer Center and Labcorp announced a new clinical trial to evaluate a tumor-informed, whole-genome sequencing ctDNA minimal residual disease (MRD) assay for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The study will enroll patients with stage IB-IIIA disease who have undergone surgery, with or without prior chemotherapy or immunotherapy, and will collect serial blood samples alongside tumor tissue to detect circulating tumor DNA.

Researchers aim to determine whether the ctDNA assay can identify molecular residual disease earlier than standard imaging, potentially allowing earlier intervention.

The trial will compare MRD results with routine CT surveillance to assess improvements in sensitivity or timing of recurrence detection.