Tiny Traces, Big Impact: Changing the Paradigm in Breast Cancer Management with MRD Testing

Presenters

Douglas Flora, MD

Executive Medical Director, Oncology Services
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, KY, USA

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Douglas Flora, MD

Dr. Doug Flora is a distinguished leader shaping the future of cancer treatment. He serves as the Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services and holds The Robert and Dell Ann Sathe Endowed Chair in Oncology at the Yung Family Cancer Center, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, driving innovation and patient-centered care. A prominent national voice, Dr. Flora is the President-Elect of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), where he champions excellence in cancer care delivery nationwide. Furthering his commitment to cutting-edge advancements, he is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal, AI in Precision Oncology, guiding the integration of artificial intelligence into modern oncology practice. Dr. Flora's multifaceted expertise as a clinician, executive, and patient advocate uniquely positions him at the forefront of transforming cancer care through technology and compassionate leadership, ensuring patients benefit from the latest breakthroughs and a holistic approach to treatment.

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Arielle Medford, MD

Breast Medical Oncologist
Mass General Cancer Center/Harvard Medical School

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Arielle Medford, MD

Dr. Medford focuses is a medical oncologist with a focus on the clinical-translational applications of circulating tumor DNA in early and advanced breast cancer, and how these tools can be used to lead to more personalized care for individual patients living with breast cancer. Dr. Medford is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation.

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In breast cancer care, a recurring clinical dilemma is identifying patients who have residual disease and are at risk of relapse. The ability to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) at the molecular level is emerging as a critical tool for optimizing patient care and outcomes. Growing evidence supports the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a highly specific biomarker of MRD in breast cancer, not only in the adjuvant setting but also during and after neoadjuvant therapy. Access to ctDNA-guided MRD testing helps oncologists identify which patients may benefit from therapy escalation or de-escalation, supporting more informed, personalized decisions across the treatment continuum.

In this AI in Precision Oncology webinar, Arielle Medford, MD, a breast cancer expert, will discuss the prognostic and predictive power of MRD testing. During the webinar, she will present recent data showing ctDNA positivity as a reliable indicator of minimal residual disease (MRD) and as a strong predictor of recurrence in breast cancer. Key takeaways from the webinar include:

How MRD testing is being integrated as a reliable decision-making tool to guide adjuvant therapy decisions with the goal of right-sizing treatment
The utility of serial MRD testing for surveillance and early identification of molecular relapse—often months before clinical progression
Clinical evidence and ongoing trials supporting MRD testing in clinical practice
How MRD-guided therapy may be used to improve DFS, enable earlier intervention, and personalize patient management based on molecular risk

A live Q&A session will follow the presentation, offering attendees a chance to pose questions to our expert panelist.