Data Featuring Haystack MRD from Quest Diagnostics to be Presented at the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

SECAUCUS, N.J., Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), a leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that data will be shared on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) minimal residual disease (MRD) testing during two poster presentations at the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, being held January 8-10, 2026 in San Francisco, CA., and online. The studies evaluate the use of ctDNA in colorectal cancer using the Haystack MRD® test from Quest Diagnostics.

Details of the poster presentations are as follows:

Title: Reproducibility and Clinical Concordance of a Tumor-Informed MRD Assay in Patients with Resected Colorectal Cancer from the DYNAMIC Trials

Abstract Number: 26 

Lead Author: Jeanne Tie, MBChB, FRACP, MD 

Session Time and Date: 1/10/2026, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM (PST)

Title: Use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to monitor patients undergoing total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma (LARC).

Abstract Number: 30 

Lead Author: Eric Christenson, MD

Session Time and Date: 1/10/2026, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM (PST)

About ctDNA MRD

A growing body of research underscores the value of ctDNA-based MRD testing to identify residual or recurring cancer in solid tumors.  By detecting trace amounts of tumor-derived DNA in the bloodstream, MRD testing can reveal molecular evidence of disease recurrence months before it becomes apparent through imaging or other conventional monitoring methods. This early insight can help clinicians tailor surveillance strategies, adjust treatment plans, and potentially intervene before disease progression becomes clinically evident. Nearly all oncologists (96%) in a recent survey by Harris Poll for Quest Diagnostics said MRD testing has the potential to identify cancer recurrence earlier than other current methods. 

About Haystack Oncology

Haystack Oncology represents the culmination of over 20 years of collaboration to advance technical and clinical development in liquid biopsy technologies by cancer genomics pioneers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, developed Haystack MRD, a tumor-informed, next-generation MRD test that detects ultralow levels of ctDNA to uncover residual or recurrent disease with exceptional sensitivity and specificity. Haystack Oncology works with biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate and inform clinical development programs and advance important therapeutics to global markets, from early phase clinical development to companion diagnostics. Haystack MRD was developed and validated in a CLIA-certified laboratory and is available for commercial use as a lab-developed test (LDT) by Quest Diagnostics. Haystack MRD is also available for clinical trials as an investigational device by Haystack Oncology in laboratories located in Baltimore, Maryland; Hamburg, Germany; and Helsinki, Finland. www.haystackmrd.com  

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics