Southampton recruits UK-leading patient numbers for ‘revolutionary’ multi-cancer blood test
Hundreds of patients in Southampton are trialling a new blood test that can identify over 50 types of cancers at earlier stages of disease.
The multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, known as Galleri, can find cancers when they can be treated more successfully.
Around 550 people have been recruited by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) for the national SYMPLIFY study.
This makes Southampton the UK’s highest recruiting location. It has contributed around 10 percent of the study’s 6,241 participants from across England and Wales.
Next-generation sequencing technology
The study’s participants have non-specific symptoms that may be a result of cancer.
They take diagnostic tests in the normal way before offering an additional Galleri blood sample. Results from these tests are being used for test validation purposes. The participants have also given permission for their health records to be checked to see if they were later diagnosed with cancer.
The new blood test has been developed by healthcare company GRAIL using next-generation sequencing technology. This can detect over 50 different cancers with a false positive rate of less than 1 percent.
Over 47 of these cancer types lack recommended screening in the UK today.
The study is assessing this MCED test for potential future implementation in the NHS. Identifying cancer at earlier stages of disease could transform care and improve outcomes for patients.
Leading recruitment for ‘landmark trial’
The SYMPLIFY study is sponsored and led by the University of Oxford. It is supported by GRAIL and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
UHS has recruited almost 100 more participants than the next highest site in the study.
Sarah Pearson, Trial Management Director at the University of Oxford, said: “The recruitment of almost 550 people from one site is a phenomenal effort and contribution to the study. A huge thank you to all of the team at Southampton.”
Mr Zaed Hamady, Consultant Cancer Surgeon at UHS and local lead for the trial, said:
“We are pleased to be able to offer patients in Southampton the opportunity to take part in this landmark trial, which could help revolutionise the way that some cancers are diagnosed in the future. By diagnosing cancers earlier, we hope to improve long term outcomes for people affected by cancer.”
He added: “Further cancer early detection studies are currently being recruiting or at set up, aiming for Southampton to become a centre of excellence for these innovative studies.”