What is the Galleri Blood Test?
Cancer is often considered one of the most devastating and impactful diseases of all-time. Whether you’re young or old – chances are you’ve experienced the negative ramifications associated with the deadly disease in one way or another. As the second most common cause of death in the United States behind heart disease, cancer kills over 600,000 people annually (1).
Although cancer rates have decreased over the last couple of decades, it is still overwhelmingly one of the leading causes of death and disease around the world. Whether it be breast, lung, colon or prostate cancer, nobody is immune to the harmful impact of the disease.
A number of lifestyle factors can impact our probability and risk of developing the disease including diet, exercise, smoking and more. However, there is still a large genetic factor that comes into play regarding the disease. Nobody can ever completely eliminate the risk of obtaining the disease, however, new research and technologies may be able to help us predict our risk factors.
In this piece, we’ll dive into the new ways people are detecting and minimizing their risk of the disease early on in life.
What Types of Tests Can Detect Cancer?
There are a number of screenings that can be performed in order to detect cancer early on in life. Some of these common testings include:
- Mammograms: women over the age of 40 can detect and test for breast cancer by undergoing these tests annually.
- HPV Tests: these can help to screen for cervical cancer in people who are 25 and up.
- Colonoscopies: people over the age of 45 are recommended to undergo colonoscopies to test for potential incidences of colon cancer.
- Prostate exams: men can be screened for prostate cancer, typically at ages 55 and older
Although these types of tests have existed for a period of time, they can often be inconclusive and unable to test for certain forms such as pancreatic or ovarian cancer. These types of cancer often cannot be detected until they develop into more serious stage III and stage IV levels.
The Galleri Test was designed as a more efficient screening method for detecting cancer at an earlier stage.
What is the Galleri Test?
The Galleri test was recently designed as an innovative method of detecting cancer. Instead of individually screening for different forms of cancer – it is considered an all-encompassing screening process that can detect multiple forms of cancer concurrently.
Using a single blood test – the Galleri test is able to detect when cancers shed DNA into the bloodstream. Utilizing a technology known as Next-Generation DNA Sequencing and machine learning – doctors can search for patterns in DNA code and determine if cancer is present along with the origination location in the body.
Healthy blood cells typically have a certain configuration pattern whereas cancerous cells exhibit an entirely different form. The results of the Galleri test will display one of two different end results including:
- No cancer DNA which means no cancer is detected in the bloodstream
- A cancer signal means a person may potentially have cancer
A positive cancer signal on the Galleri test can help medical professionals identify which organ in the body cancer is originating from with approximately a 90% accuracy rate. If detected, a secondary test form can help to verify the presence of the disease in the body. What separates the Galleri test from others is that it can help detect cancer much earlier prior to the onset of physical symptoms.
The Galleri test can detect over 50 types of cancer including breast, cervical, kidney, liver, pancreatic, stomach and more. Many of these forms of cancer are difficult to detect at early stages and tend to be extremely lethal by the time they’re detectable. The Galleri test can pinpoint over 52% of cancers and is 89% effective in determining where the cancer started in the body.
Should You Take the Galleri Test?
Although the Galleri test is a promising revelation in the world of medicine and cancer detection – individuals should still practice their due diligence when it comes to adhering to regular screening and testing procedures. If you’re over the age of 50 and have a family history of cancer – talk to your healthcare provider about taking the Galleri test.
While cancer doesn’t yet have a cure, individuals can take the proper precautions to minimize their risk and detect cancer early on. If you have questions about the Galleri test or would like to learn more about it, feel free to reach out to us for further information and support.
Live your life in the healthiest way possible and increase your longevity by trying the Galleri test today.
Kind regards,
Sean Torbati
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