Grail recently announced the enrolment of the first patients in its REACH (Real-world Evidence to Advance Multi-Cancer Early Detection Health Equity) study, which looks at 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries who receive their usual routine care plus an annual Galleri test. The Galleri test is a multi-cancer panel that aims to detect asymptomatic and early cancer, which allows for earlier treatment and thus a higher survival rate. By combining groundbreaking early cancer screening and important research in underrepresented patient populations, the REACH study is expected to pave the way for early cancer detection, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Currently, in the US, there are five recommended cancer screenings (prostate, cervical, breast, colorectal, and lung); thus, many early cancer diagnoses are missed due to a lack of screening.

Selena Yu, Senior Medical Analyst, at GlobalData, comments: “Grail is leading the way with this trial in two aspects: by implementing early multi-cancer screening as a standard of care and by studying patients in the US Medicaid system. The study will not only allow to gain a better understanding of the accuracy of the Galleri test, but we will also know how early cancer screening can impact the standard of care globally.”

The US National Institutes for Health released an announcement that found almost 70% of mortalities from cancer were aged 65 and older and more than half of these diagnoses were in the US Medicaid system.

Yu adds: “Implementing asymptomatic and early cancer screening would significantly reduce mortality rates, as individuals would receive necessary care earlier across a broader range of cancers than what is currently offered.”

According to GlobalData’s Clinical Trials Database, there are 226 active clinical trials focusing on the early detection of cancer. Currently, clinical trials on breast, lung, colorectal, and multi-cancer detection tests make up the majority of clinical trials in early detection.

Yu concludes: “Clinical trials are continuing to break the glass ceiling by recruiting underserved communities and including diversity. For example, in 2022, the PREEMPT trial looking at colorectal cancer screening tests had a diverse pool of participants with various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. PREEMPT recruited a diverse study population of 11.3% Black and 10.3% Hispanic, while most other colorectal cancer screening test clinical trials had 5% and 1%, respectively. Thus, the REACH study furthers our understanding of the Medicaid population and how the medical system can better serve people most at risk.”