Researchers have claimed that a new test known as Galleri is capable of detecting more than 50 types of cancer. These are the types of cancer that usually go undetected during their early stages. The test could be very helpful in the treatment of the disease, especially when they are detected at an early stage, saving countless lives.
In the US, many cancer screening tests are available, but the National Cancer Institute considers tests for only four types of cancers (colorectal, lung, breast, and cervical). The multi-cancer Galleri test, which has been touted as “groundbreaking” by the Mayo Clinic, could complement existing cancer screening tests, says Galleri’s maker, Grail.
Could become the go-to diagnostic tool
The test is commercially available in the US (excluding New York) and can be ordered by health care workers for patients over 50 years, or those who are at risk of cancer. There’s a huge possibility that Galleri can become a go-to diagnostic tool in the coming years.
The test is yet to get a nod from the Food and Drug Administration, but the company is aiming to receive full approval in 2023, as per biopharmaceutical news site Fierce Biotech. More studies will be conducted on the test in the coming days. England’s National Health Service might be the first to launch a study of Galleri, reports the Guardian.
Study results are promising
Grail presented the first findings of its self-funded research on the new test at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology. According to the research, the blood test can accurately detect when cancer was present in 51.5% of cases and has a very low false-positive rate. In cases where the cancer was found, the test was able to find the place where it was in the body for 88.7% of the time.
The test was developed with the aid of a machine learning algorithm that is capable of recognizing patterns, report The Guardian. As per Grail, the test works by seeking signals in the blood that may be associated with cancer. On the company’s website, there’s a list of cancers that the new blood test might be able to detect.
