Getting screened and diagnosed for cancer can be a long and challenging process. But what if you could take a blood test to look for multiple types of cancer all at once?
The Galleri test, developed by California-based healthcare company Grail, looks for DNA in the blood from more than 50 types of cancer. A person who takes the test will either get a negative result — meaning they do not have traces of any of those forms of cancer — or a positive result that identifies a specific type of cancer. Patients who test positive should then get follow-up testing and care from their healthcare provider.
The test is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration but is currently available through pilot programs. Massachusetts-based Point32Health, the parent company of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, has been offering the test to staff who meet certain criteria and recently expanded it to more of its workforce.
Peter Church, chief people officer for Point32Health, told Greater Boston that people 40 years and older or those with certain risk factors could be good candidates for the test. Both he and Susan Downard, director of clinical pharmacy, took the blood test themselves, which thankfully yielded negative results.
Downard, whose father and grandfather both had lung cancer, was nervous about the screening but wanted to take it to allay her concerns about her own health.
