Dell Children’s Hospital / UT Dell Medical School

In 2024, cureMEC partnered with Dr. Michael Mitchell at Dell Children’s Hospital to include a myoepithelial carcinoma (MEC) sample in a groundbreaking study evaluating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a tool for monitoring pediatric solid tumors. ctDNA, often called a “liquid biopsy,” is a noninvasive method of detecting fragments of tumor DNA in the blood—offering a potential early signal of disease recurrence.

Using the Signatera assay, researchers at Dell tracked tumor-specific genetic changes in patients’ blood and compared them with standard imaging. The study showed ctDNA was detectable in nearly all cases where disease was present, and in every case of recurrence it appeared at or before relapse was visible on scans.

By including MEC in this cutting-edge project, we are bringing our rare cancer into a broader effort to validate new monitoring technologies for children’s cancers. This research highlights how liquid biopsy approaches could one day give MEC patients less invasive, more precise ways to track treatment response and detect recurrence early.