A recent KIRO7 article discussed the latest in cancer screening with blood samples. GRAIL, Inc. has a new test that can apparently screen for more than 50 types of cancer with a single blood sample. The test is called Galleri, and it can even test for cancers that are difficult to find such as pancreatic or ovarian. According to their website, the test isn’t intended to be a replacement for other more traditional tests, but should be used in addition to them.
Roughly 134,000 people participated in GRAIL’s clinical study programs with the Mayo Clinic to test the effectiveness of the early detection technology. According to the Mayo Clinic, the Galleri test detected more than 50 types of cancer, with a false positive rate of less than 1%. More than 45 of the cancer types detected currently have no recommended screening tests. The test is only available through healthcare providers, and it’s $949 price tag isn’t covered by insurance.
