On January 16, 2026, the Espace du Centenaire in Paris hosted the 17th Translational Medicine and Lung Cancer Day , a major event organized by the French Intergroup of Thoracic Oncology (IFCT). Professor Paul Hofman, Director of IHU RespirERA, played a key role by moderating a strategic session on new patient monitoring methods.
Understanding "Minimal Residual Disease" (MRD)
The session moderated by Professor Hofman focused on integrating Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) into treatment decisions for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
MRD represents traces of cancer that are invisible to conventional examinations (such as CT scans) but detectable through highly advanced blood tests. Determining if these traces persist after surgery or treatment allows physicians to personalize patient care: should the treatment be intensified or, conversely, de-escalated?
High-Level Exchanges for Precision Medicine
This session brought together expertise on several essential points:
- Case Study: Using colorectal cancer as an example to better understand the challenges of MRD.
- Technological Choice: A comparison between "tumor-informed" tests (based on prior knowledge of the tumor) and "tumor-naive" tests (a broader search).
- Future Access to Testing: Discussions regarding a national academic "INCa MRD" test to ensure equitable access to these innovations.
IHU RespirERA’s Commitment: Transforming Technology into Concrete Solutions
This participation illustrates IHU RespirERA's ambitions in deploying cutting-edge technologies, such as liquid biopsy and biomarker research, to sustainably transform prevention and care pathways. By actively supporting translational research—which provides a direct bridge between laboratory discoveries and bedside treatment—the Institute reaffirms its priority mission: to reduce the impact of respiratory diseases through increasingly personalized and predictive medicine.
