Using a blood test that looks for tumor DNA to monitor early and locally advanced breast cancer
Treatment monitoring in early and locally advanced breast cancer using circulating tumor DNA analysis
This project uses a sensitive blood test that looks for tiny bits of tumor DNA to track treatment response in people with early or locally advanced breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306078 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will use a new blood test called TARDIS (Targeted Digital Sequencing) to look for multiple tumor-specific DNA changes in small blood samples taken before, during, and after treatment. The test combines many patient-specific DNA markers to boost sensitivity so very small amounts of remaining cancer (minimal residual disease) can be detected earlier than with current methods. Blood samples will be collected over time and compared with surgery, imaging, and outcomes to see how well the test matches real treatment results. The goal is to learn whether this approach can better guide decisions about extra chemotherapy or surgery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with early or locally advanced breast cancer who are receiving neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant treatment and who can provide serial blood samples.
Not a fit: People with metastatic breast cancer or those not undergoing surgery or systemic therapy are unlikely to be helped directly by this specific monitoring approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help avoid unnecessary chemotherapy or surgery by showing who truly needs extra treatment and who may be safely spared additional therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown ctDNA can detect recurrence months before imaging but often lacked sensitivity, and TARDIS is a newer, more sensitive method being tested to overcome that limitation.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Murtaza, Muhammed — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Murtaza, Muhammed
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 below.