It concerns the Galleri blood test of the American biotechnology company Grail. This test uses the latest DNA sequencing techniques – called massive parallel sequencing or next generation sequencing – to detect DNA fragments in a blood sample and identify DNA methylation. Different patterns in that methylation are associated with certain cancers, potentially allowing early detection of cancer and information about the cancer’s origin.
The NHS said it would recruit 140,000 volunteers aged 50 to 79 who are asymptomatic for this phase of the study in England. They will be identified from the NHS records and invited to participate in the survey. They will have an annual blood test for 3 years.
In addition, 25,000 people with possible cancer symptoms will also be offered a blood test to speed up their diagnosis.
The results of the study are expected by 2023. If positive, the study could be expanded to some 1 million participants over the course of 2024 and 2025.
In England, about half of all cancers are currently diagnosed at stage 1 or 2. One of the goals in the NHS’s long-term plan is to increase that share to 75 percent by 2028 and this test could help a lot.
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