Grail Study Shows $950 Galleri Test Misses 2,114 Cancers as It Detects 937
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · May 30
Grail Study Shows $950 Galleri Test Misses 2,114 Cancers as It Detects 937
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · May 30
More than 140,000 older people in the UK were tracked for three years, and Grail’s largest Galleri study failed to meaningfully reduce late-stage cancer diagnoses despite finding 937 additional cancers.
The key limitation was sensitivity: 2,114 people with negative Galleri results were diagnosed with cancer within 12 months, implying the blood test missed roughly twice as many cancers as it found.
Among cancers Galleri did detect, 54% were already Stage 3 or 4, though the company said the test shifted some cases from Stage 4 into Stage 3 and increased Stage 1-2 detection by 16% after three annual screens.
Early-stage gains were uneven but strongest in hard-to-screen cancers, with Stage 1-2 ovarian cases doubling, myeloma/plasma cell neoplasm diagnoses rising 118.2%, and esophagus cancers up 92.3%.
False positives were rare at under 0.5%, but 864 people received a cancer signal without a confirmed diagnosis, and experts said the unapproved U.S. test still lacks evidence that it reduces cancer deaths.
Grail's $950 blood test misses 70% of cancers. Why do experts still see it as a game-changer?
After a major EU legal battle over its acquisition, what is the future for Grail's controversial cancer test?
Setback for Galleri Blood Test: NHS-Galleri Trial Misses Key Endpoint in Multi-Cancer Early Detection Effort
Overview
The NHS-Galleri trial was a major study designed to test if the Galleri multi-cancer early detection blood test could improve early cancer detection. However, the trial missed its primary goal and did not show a significant improvement, which is a setback for supporters of these new screening technologies. This result challenges the idea of quickly adding such tests to public health programs and suggests that more careful evaluation and analysis are needed. As a result, the adoption of blood-based multi-cancer screening tools like Galleri may be delayed until stronger evidence is available.