A blood test for more than 50 different cancers has demonstrated real promise. an extensive NHS trial. researchers claim.
In 5,000 people who visited their GP with suspected symptoms in England or Wales, the test correctly identified two out of every three cancers.
It also identified the cancer's primary site in 85% of those positive cases.
The Galleri test seeks out distinct alterations in genetic code fragments that escape from various cancers. Early detection of treatable cancer can prolong life.
The test is still very much a "work in progress," according to the Oxford University researchers, but it might lead to more cancers being discovered.
Patients frequently experience symptoms, such as weight loss, that could have a number of different causes and necessitate numerous tests and hospital visits.
More than 350 of the participants in the study—the largest of its kind in patients with suspected cancer symptoms—were later determined to have cancer, using conventional techniques like scans and biopsies. About:.
- 75% of those who tested positive for the blood test were later diagnosed with cancer.
- 25% of those who tested negative were later found to have cancer.
The test was really helpful for patients, according to lead researcher Prof. Mark Middleton, even though it couldn't "rule in or rule out cancer.".
When a patient is in front of you, it is frequently not immediately clear what test is required to determine whether their symptoms are related to cancer. However, the test was 85% accurate in identifying the source of the cancer, and that can be really helpful, he said.
We can choose whether to order a scope or a scan based on the test's prediction, ensuring that we perform the right test the first time. ".
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, the findings will be presented.
Thousands of people without symptoms have also been given the Galleri test, created by the Californian company Grail, by the NHS to see if it can find cancers that are undetectable.
Initial results are anticipated for the following year, and if they are positive, the NHS in England plans to expand the rollout to an additional million people in 2024 and 2025.
The test excels at detecting cancers that are difficult to detect, including throat, bowel, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
According to Dr. David Crosby of Cancer Research UK, "The results from the study suggest this test could be used to support GPs in making clinical assessments, but much more research is needed, in a larger trial, to see if it could improve GP assessment and, ultimately, patient outcomes. ".
"This study is the first step in testing a new way to identify cancer as quickly as possible, being pioneered by the NHS," said Prof. Peter Johnson, national director for cancer at the NHS. "Earlier detection of cancer is vital, and this test could help us to catch more cancers at an earlier stage and help save thousands of lives.
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