Imaging and blood DNA testing to track cancer treatment response
Official title: Integration of Imaging and Circulating Plasma Cell-Free DNA Sequencing Using MSK-ACCESS to Monitor Treatment Response and Predict Progression in Patients With Multiple Cancers on Targeted Therapy
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11349729 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests a blood test and scans together to see if they can better tell when a cancer treatment is working or when it’s stopping working.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $734,405 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273224-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349729 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancer receiving targeted therapies where serial blood and imaging monitoring is feasible.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing targeted therapy or without access to serial imaging and blood testing may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine CT imaging with a blood test that looks for cancer DNA fragments to monitor how patients respond to targeted cancer therapies. They will use a next-generation sequencing test called MSK-ACCESS to measure changes in ctDNA and see if these changes predict what CT scans show over time. The team will analyze how well this combined approach tracks treatment effects and whether it can detect progression earlier than imaging alone. The work builds on prior findings that ctDNA changes can precede radiologic changes, aiming to refine biomarkers for precision care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients and doctors could detect response or progression sooner, potentially guiding treatment decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests ctDNA dynamics can correlate with treatment response, but integrating it with imaging across diverse cancers is ongoing and the approach is promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berger, Michael F. — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Berger, Michael F.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.