New Studies Highlight Labcorp Plasma Detect's Role in Early Cancer Detection and Post-Surgery Monitoring

 Labcorp (NYSE:LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, today announced Labcorp Plasma Detect, a tumor-informed, blood-based assay used to detect molecular residual disease (MRD) from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), was featured in two recent peer-reviewed publications – Nature Medicine and Clinical Cancer Research.

New Study Offers Hope for Rare and Aggressive Cancer

A study published in Nature Medicine provides encouraging results for patients with diffuse pleural mesothelioma (DPM), a rare and deadly cancer often linked to asbestos exposure. Researchers evaluated two immune-based treatment regimens given before surgery. Both approaches proved safe and enabled most patients to proceed with surgery. Notably, patients receiving neoadjuvant dual immune checkpoint blockade showed signals of durable clinical response. The study also demonstrated that Labcorp Plasma Detect can track early disease progression and predict long-term, progression-free survival. These findings suggest that perioperative immunotherapy combined with ctDNA monitoring may help shape new, more effective treatment strategies.

Post-Surgical Monitoring Breakthrough in Head and Neck Cancer

A study published in Clinical Cancer Research found that fluid collected from surgical drains after head and neck cancer surgery contains more tumor DNA than peripheral blood samples taken at the same time. Using Labcorp Plasma Detect, researchers compared lymph fluid to plasma collected 24 hours post-surgery and confirmed that lymph-based testing effectively identified residual cancer, particularly in patients with locoregional recurrence, signaling risk in patients who might otherwise go undetected by traditional pathology methods. These findings suggest that incorporating lymph fluid testing immediately after surgery, alongside plasma monitoring, could enable faster, more accurate decisions about follow-up treatment and improve outcomes for patients with HPV-independent head and neck cancer.

"These studies underscore the clinical utility of Labcorp Plasma Detect in advancing cancer research," said Shakti Ramkissoon, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, vice president and medical lead for oncology at Labcorp. "By demonstrating its ability to track early disease progression, predict long-term outcomes, and identify residual cancer in challenging contexts, our MRD technology provides critical insights that can inform future treatment strategies and improve understanding of tumor biology."