New multi-cancer early detection blood test study opens

The University of Oxford has opened a new study, which will trial a new multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test for early detection of more than 50 types of cancer. The study, SYMPLIFY, is also open at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) and already includes more than 500 participants. That number could double by the end of the trial.

The research team is supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, which is currently recruiting about 6,000 patients to participate in a trial of the Galleri blood test, developed by GRAIL. In addition, NHS is piloting the Galleri blood test in primary care settings with 140,000 individuals.

The goal of all the studies is to demonstrate how the Galleri test could be used to improve early cancer detection rates. Currently, the test has a false positive rate of less than 1 percent for more than 50 types of cancer—many of which have no recommended screenings in the UK today.

Read more about the University of Oxford’s new study of GRAIL’s Galleri tests here.