Know earlier, it matters!
Every person’s cancer is as unique as our fingerprint. Signatera is a residual molecular disease test that is customized for each patient’s set of tumor mutations and can identify earlier than traditional tests if the cancer is still present.
How Signatera helps patients during their cancer treatment
Anxiety imaging scan is very real for many patients previously diagnosed with cancer. Life between two scans creates anxiety and fearful thoughts: is cancer coming back? By making joint decisions, many patients work closely with their doctors to incorporate Signatera into their treatment plan to provide additional information needed for decision making and peace of mind. The patient’s anxiety can be alleviated by gaining a better understanding of their progress and feeling more informed about how they approach their treatment options.
Signatera is validated in several types of cancer: colorectal, breast, lung and prostate.
Why Signatera?
Signatera is an MRD blood test used to detect and monitor cancer. It is customized for each patient. It is used to assess residual molecular disease and to monitor the response to treatment.
A doctor may decide to use Signatera in conjunction with routine follow-up examinations to determine if:
There are signs of cancer that remain in the body
Treatment (eg chemotherapy, radiation) works
The cancer is recurring
Understanding the results of the Signatera test
The test result will be either positive or negative for the presence of tumor DNA in the blood. The doctor will receive the test report and will be able to discuss the results and answer questions. These results provide additional information and can help determine the treatment plan.
IMPORTANT: Negative ctDNA results may change over time. A negative MRD test does not guarantee that the cancer will never be detected in the future. This is why continuous monitoring with the Signatera test is recommended, as directed by your doctor, for early detection of residual disease.
| Negative result A negative result indicates that the tumor DNA has not been detected in the blood and that the cancer will most likely not recur if it is an early stage cancer. If it is metastatic cancer, a negative result may mean that the treatment may have reduced the amount of cancer cells to undetectable levels, which means that the treatment was effective. | Positive result A positive result indicates that the tumor DNA has been detected in the blood and means that there is a higher risk of cancer recurrence if it is an early stage cancer. The oncologist may continue to monitor ctDNA levels to assess the tumor’s response to treatment.
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