LabQ 2025 Clinical Laboratory: Molecular Pathology Faculty/Authors
Aniruddha Mundhada, MD MTech Biomedical Engineering: Research Fellow
Mark Hamilton, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas
CMLE Credit: 2.0Estimated Completion Time: 2 hour
Format: Online Educational Activity and Post Exam
Instructions
To claim CMLE credit for the exercise, do the following:
Faculty DisclosuresThe faculty have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.
Technical Considerations
Release Date: 5/31/2025 Review Date:Expiration Date: 12/31/2027
describe the biological mechanisms by which tumor cells release circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) into the bloodstream, and outline appropriate methods for collecting and processing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for clinical use;
discuss the clinical applications of ctDNA-based liquid biopsy, including its role in detecting actionable mutations, monitoring measurable residual disease (MRD), assessing treatment response, and identifying resistance mechanisms;
compare the advantages and limitations of ctDNA-based liquid biopsy with traditional tissue biopsy, including considerations such as non-invasiveness, tumor heterogeneity, assay sensitivity, and standardization challenges; and
interpret ctDNA results in the context of personalized cancer care and apply these findings to therapeutic decision-making, including the selection of targeted therapies and immunotherapies.