Mercy to offer new blood test to detect 50 types of cancer

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A new blood test claims to be able to detect more than 50 types of cancer, and it will soon be offered at a local hospital.

Mercy and GRAIL, LLC announced plans to offer a multi-cancer early detection blood test.

Officials say GRAIL's Galleri test uses advanced testing capabilities to detect early cancer signals of more than 50 types of cancer.

“Recommended cancer screenings in the U.S. currently cover only five types of cancer - breast, cervical, colon, lung and prostate - and can screen just one at a time,” said Dr. Jay Carlson, clinical chair of Mercy Research, gynecologic oncologist and head of Mercy’s cancer specialty council. “This innovative test has shown the ability to screen for hard-to-detect, aggressive and often deadly types of cancer like pancreatic, ovarian and esophageal, which oftentimes have no warning signs and are caught too late.”

The test looks for a shared signal present in the bloodstream that has been associated with many cancers.

“Early detection can play a critical role in cancer treatment, allowing cancers to be caught when treatment is more likely to be successful,” said Bob Ragusa, chief executive officer at GRAIL. “We believe new approaches, including multi-cancer early detection tests, are the new front in the war on cancer and one of our best chances to bend the cancer mortality curve. We’re excited to work with Mercy to offer Galleri to their patients.”

The test is recommended for adults with an elevated risk of cancer.

Officials say the test is not currently covered by insurance, so patients must pay for the test out of pocket. Mercy says it will work with patients who qualify for but are unable to pay the total cost of the test.

To see if you qualify, or to schedule the test, click here.