Innovative blood test could detect dozens of cancers before symptoms appear
NEWNow you can listen to News articles!
A new type of blood test could help detect multiple cancers early.
A team of California researchers studied a new multiple cancer early detection (MCED) test called Galleri, which can reportedly detect more than 50 types of diseases.
The study looked at about 23,161 participants aged 50 and older in the United States and Canada who did not have any symptoms.
ERIN ANDREWS ‘DID NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS’ BEFORE CANCER DIAGNOSIS, PURSUE FOR EARLY SCREENINGS
These participants underwent standard screening exams recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force for certain cancers, including breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers.
They also performed the Galleri blood test, manufactured by GRAIL, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Menlo Park, California.
A team of California researchers studied a new cancer screening test called Galleri, which can reportedly detect more than 50 types of cancer. (iStock)
The researchers compared standard screening tests alone with standard screening tests plus blood work.
Of the more than 23,000 people tested, Galleri’s test detected a sign of cancer in 216 of them, of whom 133 were confirmed to have the disease.
COLORECTAL CANCER DIAGNOSES SPIKE AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS FOR ONE KEY REASON
This means there was a 61.6% chance that someone with a positive Galleri test actually had cancer. The false positive rate was “very low,” about 0.4%, according to the researchers.
More than half (53.5%) of the cancers detected by Galleri were stage 1 or 2, while 69.3% were stage 1 to 3.
The results showed that about three-quarters of the cancers identified in the trial group do not currently have standard screening options in the US.
There was a 61.6% chance that someone with a positive Galleri test actually had cancer.
The study also found that cancer detection increased more than seven-fold when the Galleri blood test was combined with standard screening.
Study researcher Nima Nabavizadeh, MD, associate professor of radiation medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, said in an interview with News Digital that he was “incredibly encouraged” by these findings and what they may mean for meeting unmet screening needs and detecting cancer early.
More than half (53.5%) of the cancers detected by Galleri were stage 1 or 2, while 69.3% were stage 1 to 3. (GRAIL)
The results suggest that a positive test should be “taken seriously,” the researcher reiterated. The experimental blood test was able to accurately identify which organ the cancer came from 92% of the time, he added.
Josh Ofman, MD, president of drugmaker GRAIL, said in a news release that adding Galleri to standard screening can help detect new cancers early, since most deadly cancers are detected “too late.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE News APP
“Galleri’s ability to accurately predict which part of the body the cancer signal is coming from also helps guide more efficient diagnosis,” he said. “Galleri is the only MCED (multiple cancer early detection) test available that has been validated in a population-based screening intervention trial and could transform the way we perform cancer screening at the population level.”
A Galleri blood test could help detect more than 50 types of cancer, the trial suggested. (GRAIL)
Promising, but not a replacement
News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, associate radiology assistant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and director of breast imaging in Monmouth, New Jersey, reacted to these findings in an interview with News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Saphier, who was not involved in the study, emphasized how early detection saves lives while reducing the overall cost of cancer care by finding the disease when it is most treatable.
“[This] allows patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives,” he said.
TRY OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Saphier commented that the multi-cancer blood test adds a “promising new layer to existing tools for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screening, potentially detecting cancers that standard tests may miss.”
However, although it looks promising, this new test is intended to complement, not replace, currently available screening tests, the expert added.
While the new test is promising, it is intended to complement, not replace, currently available screening tests, one expert said. (GRAIL)
“Thoughtful, evidence-based integration will be key to ensuring it improves outcomes without adding unnecessary costs or confusion,” he said.
“As cancers increase among younger people, the question now is whether we should expand screening ages and whether this blood test could play a role in that change.”
“As cancers increase among younger people, the question now is whether we should expand screening ages and whether this blood test could play a role in that change.”
The study also does not directly compare the Galleri test to a control group that did not receive the test in the same setting and conditions, making it difficult to determine the full benefit of the test.
The press release says: “Test performance metrics do not represent the results of a direct comparative study.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Because this trial was an initial analysis with a short one-year follow-up, study leader Nabavizadeh suggested that a more complete analysis of the 35,000 study participants be conducted in the future.
“In addition, we are eagerly awaiting the results of the NHS-Galleri randomized trial to provide additional clinically useful data compared to standard of care screening alone,” he shared.
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for News Digital.