Can Cancer Be Detected in a Blood Test?
In addition to the CA-125 test, there’s a blood-based test called Shield that’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen for colorectal cancer. Despite being FDA-approved and recommended as a screening test by the American Cancer Society, it’s not a preferred method of screening. The blood test is not as sensitive as other methods at detecting precancerous growths and some types of cancer.
Researchers are working to identify a blood test that could effectively detect multiple types of cancer, known as a multi-cancer detection (MCD) test. In a clinical validation study of 223 patients, investigators analyzed a blood test called Cancerguard for its ability to screen for multiple common cancers. The test looks for protein markers and pieces of DNA in the blood known as circulating tumor DNA.
Results showed that the test detected cancer with a sensitivity of 56 percent (meaning that if there are 100 people with known cancer, it will detect cancer in only 56 of them ) and a specificity of 97 percent (identifying people without cancer).
Another example of an MCD test is the Galleri test, and there are more tests still in developmental stages. While available, MCD tests are not FDA-approved, and it would likely be an out-of-pocket expense should you choose to take one. MCD tests do not replace regular screening tests, and an abnormal result will require additional testing to determine whether you have cancer or not.
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