Amar Rewari, Chief of Radiation Oncology at Luminis Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“What if one blood test could find cancer before you even felt a symptom?
That’s the idea behind Galleri, a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test that looks for methylation changes in cell-free DNA — unique patterns that can signal more than 50 different types of cancer from a single vial of blood.
The data so far is intriguing: the Pathfinder trial showed that the test could identify a ‘signal of cancer’ and accurately suggest the tissue of origin nearly 9 times out of 10 when cancer was present. The Symplify study in the U.K. confirmed strong diagnostic value, especially in high-risk or symptomatic patients. The ongoing NHS Galleri trial, now enrolling over 140,000 participants, will be the first to tell us whether that early signal actually saves lives.
As I told SuperAge,
‘We’re at the beginning of what could be a major shift in how we detect cancer — but right now, the Galleri test should complement, not replace, established screening methods.’
It’s important to note that Galleri isn’t yet covered by insurance — it’s a self-pay test (~$949), though some employers are experimenting with limited coverage pilots. For now, it’s best used in consultation with a physician who can interpret results alongside age-appropriate screenings like mammography, colonoscopy, and low-dose CT scans.
The promise of MCEDs is undeniable — catching cancers we’ve never been able to screen for before. But our job as oncologists is to make sure innovation doesn’t outpace validation. The excitement is real, but so is the responsibility to ensure these advances truly improve outcomes.
Read the full story here.”
More posts featuring Amar Rewari.