What Will It Take To Make MCED And MRD A Reality?

This content is brought to you by Integrated DNA Technologies, a Danaher Operating Company.

Cancer death rates have fallen dramatically in the United States, dropping 34% since 1991 and sparing an estimated 4.5 million lives. Yet with more than 2.1 million new cancer cases and over 626,000 deaths projected for 2026, the need for earlier intervention remains urgent. Two emerging strategies are reshaping how cancer is identified and monitored: multi-cancer early detection (MCED), which aims to find multiple cancers before symptoms appear, and minimal residual disease (MRD) testing, which detects tiny traces of cancer that may remain after treatment. Together, these approaches reflect a broader shift toward more proactive cancer care—one focused not only on diagnosis, but on surveillance, recurrence risk, and timely clinical decision-making.

Explore how both techniques are expanding the possibilities for earlier action across the cancer care continuum.