Grail, a Silicon Valley company, has developed a multi-cancer early detection test (MCED) called Galleri. The single-draw blood test can detect more than 50 types of cancer. Moreover, MCED “could shift cancer detection from stage IV to earlier stages (stages I-III), potentially reducing cancer mortality.”
In the US, the test, considered “complimentary to current cancer screening approaches”, is currently available by prescription. A healthcare provider orders the test.
How Does It Work?
“DNA fragments are released and circulate within our blood.”
These DNA fragments, referred to as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), “contain features that indicate the type of cell they originally came from, including cancer cells.”
Looking at methylation markers or chemical changes to the DNA, Galleri’s DNA sequencing and AI technology can detect cancer signals and also where in the body these signals originated from or cancer signal origin (CSO).
Accuracy
Recent clinical studies show correct cancer detection 51.5% of the cases. Detection accuracy increases the higher the cancer stage. The test incorrectly detected cancer in 0.5% of cases (false-positive). The technology predicted cancer origin 88.7% of the time.
This fall, the National Health Service (UK) will pilot the Galleri blood test with 165,000 patients.
