Wellstar MCG Health offers test to screen for 50-plus cancers

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Georgia Cancer Center at Wellstar MCG Health says it’s the first provider in the region to offer Galleri️, a multi-cancer early detection blood test that can detect a shared cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer.

The test is the first of its kind and detects a signal in the blood that may be associated with cancer.

If a signal is detected, the results predict where the cancer may be located to help care providers conduct further diagnostic testing.

The test does not detect all cancers, nor does it replace genetic testing for those at increased risk of hereditary cancers.

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The Galleri test is recommended for adults with an elevated risk for cancer, such as those age 50 or older. It is intended to be used in addition to recommended cancer screenings.

Patients should request the test from their primary care provider, who will order the test. Test results will be available in as little as two weeks and will read either “No Cancer Signal Detected” or “Cancer Signal Detected.”

If a cancer signal is detected, the primary care provider will guide the next steps in coordinating follow-up testing to confirm whether cancer is present.

A positive result is not a cancer diagnosis.

According to The American Cancer Society, more than 610,000 people are expected to die from cancer each year in the United States. This is in large part because the majority of cancers are found too late when outcomes are often poor.

Recommended screening saves lives, but only covers five cancer types in the United States: breast, colon, cervical, prostate and (in high-risk adults) lung.

In fact, about 70% of cancer deaths are from cancers that lack recommended screening.