UK NHS begins world's biggest trial of blood test to detect cancer before symptoms appear

On Monday, Britain's state-run National Health Service (NHS) began the world's largest trial of blood tests that can potentially help detect more than 50 types of cancer before symptoms appear. Developed by healthcare company GRAIL, the Galleri test checks for the earliest signs of cancer in the blood that are difficult to spot early by picking up fragments of DNA. The test is being organised by the Cancer Research UK and King's College London Cancer Prevention Trials Unit in collaboration with the healthcare company GRAIL and the NHS. The NHS aims to invite as many as 1,40,000 people from eight areas in England, aged between 50 t0 77, to participate in the test to know how well the test works. These people will be required to submit their blood samples at mobile test clinics in different regions. They will be required to give a second sample after 12 months and the third after two years.

The NHS claimed that the test effectively detects cancers that are usually difficult to identify in early stages - such as lung, bowel, neck, pancreas and throat cancers. The Galleri test helps find chemical changes in fragments of genetic code shed from tumours into the bloodstream. Meanwhile, Dame Cally Palmer, NHS National Director for Cancer, said that it is essential to detect the symptoms of cancer early to improve survival, and this test has the potential to do that very effectively. He further said that the trial is part of the NHS's efforts to detect cancer even before symptoms appear and help people beat the disease. The NHS is expecting initial test results by 2023, and if the result is encouraging, it intends to conduct the test across England. 

 'Revolution' in cancer detection and treatment

Sir Harpal Kumar, the Indian-origin President of GRAIL Europe, believes that the Galleri test can detect several types of cancer and predict where it is in the body with a high degree of accuracy. Meanwhile, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard termed the Galleri test as the "revolution" in cancer detection and treatment, which will help save many lives across the world. He informed that, to begin with, the test will be conducted in a few regions that include Cumbria, Greater Manchester, the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, Kent and Medway, Cheshire and Merseyside, and South East London. 

(With PTI inputs)

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