Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center published a liquid‑biopsy approach that measures epigenetic variability—random fluctuations in DNA methylation—to detect early‑stage cancers. Rather than quantifying absolute methylation at specific loci, the method quantifies epigenetic instability across cell‑free DNA and showed improved sensitivity for early tumors in the study cohort reported by Johns Hopkins investigators. The team positioned the assay as a complementary approach to mutation‑based liquid biopsies; measuring instability can capture tumor biology not evident from single‑site methylation or mutation calls. The study was released by Johns Hopkins researchers and will require larger validation and regulatory engagement before clinical deployment, but it offers a new biomarker axis for MRD and early detection programs.