GEMINI-BREAST: Evaluating Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) through Longitudinal Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Profiling in Breast Malignancies

Background
While advancements in early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) treatment have improved survival, disease recurrence and therapeutic resistance remain significant challenges. Current biomarkers guide initial treatment, yet novel diagnostics are required to improve risk stratification and recurrence prediction. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers a non-invasive method for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD), potentially enabling the identification of molecular relapse before radiographic progression. However, deeper validation of ctDNA kinetics across the treatment continuum is needed to inform precision oncology strategies in ESBC. Additionally, the logistical complexity of tissue-dependent assays presents a barrier to scalability. In order to address these gaps, the purpose of the GEMINI-BREAST study is to evaluate a methylation-based, tissue-free ctDNA assay (Tempus xM) and integrate this with comprehensive clinical and multi-omic data to determine prognostic utility for invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and long term outcomes in patients with ESBC.

Methods
GEMINI-BREAST (NCT07211178) is a prospective, non-interventional, multi-center study enrolling up to 900 participants with ESBC treated with curative intent. Eligible patients enroll into one of three analytical cohorts (n ~ 300 each): Cohort 1 enrolls pre-neoadjuvant therapy (high-risk HR+/HER2-[Stage II-III], HER2+ [Stage II-III], or TNBC [Stage I-III]); Cohort 2 enrolls post-surgery/pre-adjuvant therapy (same subtypes, no evidence of disease); and Cohort 3 enrolls long-term survivors (high-risk HR+/HER2- [Stage II-III], ≥ 5 years since diagnosis). Longitudinal blood samples for ctDNA analysis and archival tissue for NGS are collected at standard-of-care intervals, including, as applicable: pre- neoadjuvant, neoadjuvant on-treatment (weeks 3, 6, 12) and post-treatment, post-surgical/pre- adjuvant, adjuvant on-treatment (every 3 months), end of definitive therapy, surveillance for up to 5 years (every 3-6 months for Cohorts 1/2; every 6-12 months for Cohort 3), and at progression/recurrence. The primary objective is to evaluate the association between ctDNA dynamics (Cohort 1) or MRD status (Cohort 2/3) and iDFS, with secondary endpoints assessing overall survival, lead time to recurrence, and the predictive value of ctDNA clearance for pathological complete response. Recruitment is currently ongoing at U.S. sites.