Its National Health Service Of Britain begins today the largest test in the world of the Galleri blood test of the company Grail, which can be used to detect more than 50 types of cancer before the onset of symptoms.
The Galleri test looks at DNA in a patient’s blood to see if it comes from cancer cells. Early diagnosis of cancers leads to significantly increased survival rates.
The NHS has said it wants to recruit 140,000 volunteers in the UK to test how well the test is performing as part of a randomized controlled trial. Half of the participants will have their blood sample tested immediately with the Galleri test.
“We need to study the Galleri test carefully to see if it can significantly reduce the number of cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage,” said Peter Sassieni, a professor of cancer prevention at King’s College London.
“It can change the rules of the game”
“The test could change the rules of the game in early detection of cancer and we are excited to lead this important research,” he added.
Lung cancer is by far the most common cause of cancer death in Britain, accounting for one-fifth of all deaths from incurable disease.
Lung, bowel, prostate and breast cancers account for 45% of deaths from this disease in the UK, according to the NHS.
US life sciences company Illumina Inc. announced last month that it had completed its $ 7.1 billion acquisition of Grail. Illumina added that it will operate Grail separately from its current business.
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