Tuesday 13 September 2022 11:41 PM Blood test that could detect FIFTY types of cancer shows 'promise' in early ... trends now
A blood test that could detect 50 types of cancer has shown 'promise' in early trials, scientists said — after it spotted the disease in previously healthy people.
New York-based scientists detected 35 cases of cancer using the test, but another 57 people were wrongly diagnosed with the condition.
It was not possible to determine its accuracy because the 6,000 participants were not screened using standard tests at the same time.
The Galleri blood test uses a single swab to look for a signal made by many cancers, including types affecting the breasts, lungs and kidneys. Scientists say it has great promise in detecting some cancers — like pancreatic — early, whereas current tests can only detect them in later stages when survival chances are reduced.
It is available on prescription for $949-a-pack, but experts say the test should not be used in place of standard screening procedures.
Scientists at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who carried out the research said although the test was good, it still needed to be refined. It comes just a day after President Joe Biden unveiled plans to halve cancer deaths to 300,000 a year by 2042 by piling millions of dollars into developing blood tests for it.
New York-based scientists detected 35 cases of cancer using the test, but another 57 people were wrongly diagnosed with the condition (file photo)
The study results were presented today at the annual Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) held in Paris, France.
The trial recruited 6,621 people over the age of 50 years old who were otherwise healthy.
Each had a blood sample taken which was run through the Galleri test to check for cancers.
