Promising new cancer screening methods are pivoting toward multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests (liquid biopsies) and AI-enhanced imaging, which aim to detect multiple cancer types from a single, non-invasive sample, often before symptoms arise. These technologies, including the Galleri test and Novelna's protein-based tests, analyze DNA, proteins, or methylation patterns to identify cancer signals.
- Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Blood Tests: These tests, often called liquid biopsies, detect DNA or proteins shed by cancer cells into the bloodstream, identifying early-stage cancers (e.g., ovarian, pancreatic) that lack standard screening protocols.
- Galleri Test: Analyzes chemical methylation patterns to detect over 50 types of cancer, with the potential to indicate the cancer's origin in the body.
- Novelna's Test: An experimental test analyzing protein signatures, showing high accuracy in identifying 18 early-stage cancers, including 93% of stage 1 cancers in men.
- TriOx Test: A new, Oxford-developed test showing high sensitivity in detecting trace cancer DNA.
- AI and Machine Learning in Screening: AI is enhancing existing imaging techniques (e.g., mammography) to improve accuracy and efficiency in reading scans, reducing false positives.
- Other Liquid Biopsies: Research into analyzing blood, breath, and urine for early signs of cancer, offering a less invasive alternative to tissue biopsies.
While offering immense promise for reducing cancer mortality, many of these technologies, including MCED, are still in research or early implementation phases, and they can produce false positives.
