Tag Archive for: URMD

Undetectable Minimal Residual Disease (UMRD) Explained

Undetectable Minimal Residual Disease (UMRD) Explained from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Dr. Brian Koffman, co-founder of The CLL Society, defines the term undetectable minimal residual disease (UMRD) and explains its role in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) care.

Dr. Brian Koffman is the cofounder, chief medical officer, and executive vice president of The CLL Society.

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Transcript:

So, “UMRD” stands for “undetectable minimal residual disease.” So, what the heck does that mean?

What that means is that if you got it, you’re in pretty great shape because your CLL has been driven down to such a low level that it’s no longer detectable. Now, that doesn’t mean that you’re cured of the CLL, that doesn’t mean the CLL is gone, but that means your CLL is such a low level that it’s no longer detectable. The minimal residual disease is undetectable; we can’t find it with the best tests that we have.

And, that is very good news because it means your CLL is either potentially cured – and we won’t know that for several years, but there’s some evidence to suggest that some people who reach UMRD are cured of their CLL, or that the CLL’s been knocked down to such a low level, it’ll be years before it reoccurs again. So, I think UMRD is one of the hot terms that’s getting a lot of attention, and it’s one that you wanna be comfortable and familiar with.