Innovative Galleri Blood Test Detects Colon Cancer Missed by Routine Screening in UK Study
Ann, a 71-year-old retired property manager from Northamptonshire, England, underwent a routine home screening test for colorectal cancer in November 2021, which returned a normal result. However, three months later, she participated in the NHS-Galleri study, a large-scale research project involving over 142,000 participants aged 50 to 77, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Galleri blood test in early cancer detection. The Galleri test identified a signal indicating possible colorectal cancer, prompting further investigation.
Subsequent colonoscopy confirmed Ann had stage 3 colorectal cancer, despite her having no symptoms or warning signs. She underwent minimally invasive surgery in May 2022 to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and oral medication until September. Follow-up scans and tests have since shown no signs of cancer, and she remains under regular medical surveillance.
The Galleri test is a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test that screens for signals of more than 50 cancer types, including those not covered by standard screening programs. It is intended to complement, not replace, existing screening methods such as fecal occult blood tests, mammography, and low-dose CT scans. When a cancer signal is detected, further diagnostic procedures are required to confirm the presence and location of cancer.
Results from the NHS-Galleri trial, presented at the 2026 ASCO conference, showed that adding the Galleri test to routine screening quadrupled the number of cancers detected by screening. It also increased early-stage diagnosis of 12 deadly cancer types by 16% and reduced emergency cancer diagnoses by 25%. Although the study did not meet its primary endpoint of significantly reducing late-stage (3-4) cancer diagnoses overall, it did show a notable decline in stage 4 diagnoses over three screening rounds, suggesting earlier tumor detection before metastasis.
Ann credits the Galleri test with saving her life, as her cancer might otherwise have been detected too late. She now plans to enjoy retirement with new adventures, viewing the brief blood draw for the Galleri test as a small price to pay for potentially life-saving information. The Galleri test is available in Israel through Oncotest and is recommended for individuals over 50 or those with increased cancer risk due to family history or genetic factors, as an adjunct to standard screening.
