Population cancer screening clinical utility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomized, controlled trial to assess the clinical utility of a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test for population screening in the United Kingdom (UK) when added to standard of care.
IRAS ID
293034
Contact name
Sir Harpal Kumar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
GRAIL Bio UK Ltd
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN91431511
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
The Galleri test is a new blood test that can detect signs of many different types of cancer in a sample of a person’s blood. If the Galleri test can find these signs earlier than other tests and before people have symptoms of cancer, it may mean that cancer can be treated more successfully.
However, we currently don’t know how good the Galleri test is at detecting cancer early enough to make a difference, when it is added to the approaches the NHS currently uses. This is why we need to run a trial. A trial is a type of research study that aims to understand whether a new treatment or test works when added to the other approaches that are already being used. In this case, the trial aims to understand whether in people who do not have symptoms of cancer, adding the Galleri test helps to detect cancers at earlier stages than just using the tests the NHS currently uses alone.
At the end of the trial, we’ll have a much better understanding of how well the Galleri test works as a way of screening people for cancer. If it does work, then it could be used in the NHS in the future (in addition to the tests for breast screening or bowel screening, but for lots of cancers in one test). If it doesn’t work, then we will still have learned important information about what research needs to be done in the future to improve cancer screening, so that people’s lives are less likely to be affected by cancer.
REC name
Wales REC 1
REC reference
21/WA/0141
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion