Circulating Tumor DNA Based Minimal Residual Disease Detection for Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer

This clinical trial studies how well circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) based minimal residual disease (MRD) detection works for patients with early-stage breast cancer. MRD refers to a very small number of tumor cells that remain in the body during or after treatment. ctDNA refers to small pieces of DNA that are released into a person's blood by tumor cells as they die. Management of patients after cancer surgery remains a clinical dilemma, particularly for cancer detected at earlier stages as many patients are cured by surgery alone. This results in very large clinical trials required to demonstrate a modest benefit from treatment. Using ctDNA MRD testing in early-stage breast cancer patients receiving standard treatment may help researchers identify groups that would benefit from additional therapy, leading to better outcomes.