What it is
Whether screening with blood-based early-detection tests for multiple cancers, in addition to usual care, has clinical utility is unknown. In the NHS-Galleri randomized, controlled trial in England, people aged 50 to 77 gave blood at up to three annual visits; 71,122 were randomly assigned to have their blood tested and 71,128 to have it stored, and participants and trial personnel were initially unaware of the assignments. After three screening rounds and at least 12 months of follow-up after the last participant's third visit, the incidence of stage III or IV cancer across 12 prespecified cancer types, the primary end point, did not differ significantly between the groups (incidence rate ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.14; P = 0.63).
Why it matters
Adding a blood test for multiple cancers to usual care did not significantly lower the rate of late-stage (stage III or IV) diagnoses of 12 prespecified cancers after three screening rounds: the authors did not observe a lower rate with the test plus usual care than with usual care alone. For stage IV cancer, a key secondary end point, the incidence rate ratio after three rounds was 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.00). Fewer than 1% of participants had trial-related adverse events, and none were serious.
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Filed underColorectal Cancer Screening and Detection, Global Cancer Incidence and Screening, Cancer and biochemical research
