Arabic version: اختبار دم متعدد السرطانات يفشل في تحقيق أهداف تجربة NHS

According to BBC News,

A multi-cancer blood test, known as the Galleri test, has failed to achieve its key objective in a major NHS trial, according to the company behind the test, Grail. The trial involved 142,000 NHS patients and aimed to detect various cancers early to improve patient outcomes. Despite the setback, Grail noted potential positive signs regarding the detection of aggressive cancers, although these benefits are considered speculative until further evidence is available.

The Galleri test works by identifying fragments of DNA released from tumors into the bloodstream, with the ambition of detecting up to 50 types of cancer before symptoms arise. Initially, NHS England had high hopes for the test, describing it as “the beginning of a revolution” in cancer screening.

While the full data from the three-year trial has yet to be published, Grail reported to investors that although there was a trend indicating a reduction in combined stage three and four cancers, the trial did not meet the primary endpoint. Following this announcement, Grail’s share price saw a significant drop, reverting to levels observed at the end of the summer.

Interestingly, an analysis focused solely on stage four cancers indicated a reduction of around a fifth, suggesting that the most lethal cancers might be detected earlier. However, experts are debating the significance of this finding, given that it was not the main focus of the trial. Prof. Charles Swanton, overseeing the trials, expressed enthusiasm about the reduction in stage four cancers, emphasizing their incurability.

Conversely, other experts, such as Prof. Richard Houlston, stress that the primary endpoint remains crucial for evaluating the trial’s success. He pointed out that without comprehensive mortality data and an understanding of potential harms, including false positives and unnecessary procedures, claims regarding the test’s benefits are largely speculative. The full data is expected to be shared later this year at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. An NHS spokesperson stated that the organization will carefully analyze the trial results to assess the future role of such blood tests in cancer detection.