New blood test can detect more than 50 cancers early
Blood test correctly detects cancer in two-thirds of flagged cases
- A pioneering Galleri blood test, designed to screen for over 50 types of cancer, correctly identified the disease in nearly two-thirds (61.6 per cent) of cases it flagged in a major U.S. trial.
- The Pathfinder 2 study showed the test detects DNA fragments from cancer cells in the bloodstream, often before symptoms, and accurately pinpointed the organ or tissue of origin in 92 per cent of cases.
- Over half (53.5 per cent) of the new cancers detected by Galleri were at stages I or II, with more than two-thirds (69.3 per cent) identified at stages I to III, suggesting earlier diagnosis.
- Sir Harpal Kumar of Grail stated the test led to a more than seven-fold increase in cancers found within a year compared to existing screening programmes, and correctly ruled out cancer in 99.6 per cent of healthy individuals.
- While the findings are being presented at the ESMO Congress, Professor Anna Schuh noted that a positive result means cancer is present only about 60 per cent of the time, with an NHS trial expected to publish results next year.