A study published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics found that Haystack MRD, an ultrasensitive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) liquid biopsy test from Quest Diagnostics, accurately detected residual or recurrent colorectal cancer in an analysis of patient specimens from the DYNAMIC and DYNAMIC-III clinical trials. These trials investigated ctDNA-guided adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in stage II and stage III colorectal cancer.
At three-year follow-up, the assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity; at five years, sensitivity was 83.3%, with specificity remaining at 100%. Over a median follow-up of 60 months, the test also outperformed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), detecting recurrence with 88.9% sensitivity compared with 11.1% for CEA. No false-positive results were reported in the study cohort.