New blood test can detect over 50 types of cancer
A new blood test called Galleri can detect over 50 types of cancer just from a blood sample, including many that usually slip past regular screenings.
This could mean catching cancers earlier and giving people a better shot at effective treatment.
In a study involving nearly 36,000 adults
Researchers tested Galleri on nearly 36,000 adults over 50.
The test flagged cancer in about 1% of people, and doctors confirmed cancer in 62% of those cases.
Over half were caught at an early stage—huge for treatment options.
When Galleri was used with standard screening, cancer detection rates jumped more than seven times.
Galleri also pinpointed where the cancer started
Galleri found three-quarters of cancers that don't have routine screening—like pancreatic, liver, and ovarian cancer—and correctly guessed where the cancer started 92% of the time.
That helps doctors know what to do next if you get a positive result.
Not a replacement for regular screening
Galleri isn't perfect—it might miss some cancers (earlier studies showed a 98.5% negative predictive value, though this figure is not reported for the latest PATHFINDER 2 results), and not every positive result means you definitely have cancer (positive predictive value is 62%).
It's meant to add to regular screening, not replace it.
A massive NHS trial with 140,000 people is underway now, with results expected in 2026 to show if early detection really saves lives or avoids overdiagnosis.