A new research from North America has found a simple blood test capable of detecting more than 50 types of cancer.
Results from a trial involving 25,000 adults in the United States and Canada show that the Galleri test, developed by American biotechnology company Grail, identified a wide range of cancers.
The researchers found that over half of the cancers were detected at an early stage, when treatment is most effective and chances of survival are higher.
The test works by detecting tiny fragments of tumour DNA circulating in the bloodstream.
Among participants, nearly one in 100 received a positive result, and cancer was later confirmed in 62 percent of those cases.
The test also proved highly reliable in ruling out cancer, correctly giving negative results in more than 99 percent of healthy participants.
When combined with existing screening methods for breast, bowel and cervical cancers, it increased overall cancer detection sevenfold.
The researchers said notably, three-quarters of the cancers detected were those for which no standard screening currently exists such as ovarian, liver, stomach, bladder and pancreatic cancers.
The blood test also accurately pinpointed the tissue of origin in nine of 10 cases.
Clare Turnbull, of the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said data from randomised studies, with mortality as an endpoint, “will be absolutely essential to establish whether seemingly earlier-stage detection by Galleri translates into benefits in mortality”.
Nima Nabavizadeh, associate professor of radiation medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, said the findings suggest the test could “fundamentally change” how cancer screening is approached.
The topline results will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Berlin on Saturday, although the full study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The test is already being trialled by the NHS, which is conducting a three-year study involving 140,000 patients in England.
Full results from that trial are expected next year. If successful, the NHS plans to expand testing to one million more people.
