MRD Testing in CLL and Multiple Myeloma

Advancing technology in measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment, particularly when used as part of personalized medicine, can significantly help guide treatment plans for patients with hematologic malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma. MRD refers to the presence of residual microscopic cancer cells detected after cancer treatment which may have been missed by more conventional scans or tests. Despite updated recommendations around the prognostic significance and appropriate testing and re-testing with MRD in available clinical practice guidelines, routine MRD testing among patients is variable.

To address this disparity in care, in 2020, ACCC developed an Implementation Roadmap and a self-assessment tool to help multidisciplinary providers successfully integrate MRD testing into the cancer care continuum for patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Now, through ACCC’s MRD Implementation Roadmaps initiative, this innovative tool has been expanded to include MRD testing for patients with CLL and multiple myeloma. ACCC has engaged a multidisciplinary panel of experts to serve on the project Advisory Committee to provide leadership and guidance on how to implement this guideline-concordant testing into community cancer programs.

The MRD Implementation Roadmaps initiative helps multidisciplinary community cancer care teams better comprehend MRD testing by addressing barriers to incorporating the test into the treatment of ALL, CLL, and MM.

Specifically, this project shall:

• Increase knowledge and awareness of MRD testing for patients with CLL and multiple myeloma
• Evaluate identified barriers and potential solutions to integrate MRD testing into community oncology programs and practices
• Enhance understanding of the importance of incorporating MRD testing into patient treatment plans

For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.

Cancer Buzz Podcast

[MINI-PODCAST] Ep 80: The Promise of MRD Testing in Multiple Myeloma & CLL

While not yet mainstream in the community setting, measurable residual disease (MRD) testing has the potential to become more fully integrated into clinical practice as one of the reliable markers of treatment response for patients with multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Our guests—Drs. Rafael Fonseca and Tara Graff—discuss the benefits of MRD testing for these specific patient populations, the importance of training the multidisciplinary care team, and the promise of MRD testing to improve patient outcomes as its adoption continues to grow.

Guests:

Rafael Fonseca, MD
Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Scottsdale, Arizona

“If our wildest dreams come true because of MRD testing, I can see a future where the best therapies accompanied by the best diagnostics will not only save lives but will also save money.”

Tara Graff, DO
Medical Oncologist, Mission Cancer and Blood
Des Moines, Iowa

“With more sensitive MRD testing and newer assays, we can detect way before any laboratory value, scan, or patient would have a clinical inkling... it’s like having a magic 8-ball into the future. That's a huge change that has occurred in the past few years.”

From the ACCCBuzz Blog