Cancer continues to be one of the world's top causes of death, due in part to delayed discovery of the disease. But according to a recently released study, a simple blood test may be able to identify a variety of cancers in their early stages.
In addition to earlier detection, the study from GRAIL, a biotechnology company, showed that its multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing method found cancers in organs that don't have routine screening tests. The test, known as Galleri, picked up cancer signals in 216 people, and 133 of them were found to actually have cancer. The study also found that the test correctly predicted the cancer's origin 92% of the time.
Shifting cancer screening options
Because of the lack of screening for many of the most serious cancers, they tend to be found after it is too late. But when tumors are found early on, they are more treatable and possibly curable.
There are currently established screening methods for various cancers, including mammograms, pap tests, colonoscopies, and tests for the prostate and lungs.
The FDA has not yet approved the Galleri MCED testing method; more research is currently ongoing.
