An innovative new cancer test screens for more than 50 — instead of 5 — types

Finding cancer early usually means a much better chance of surviving it. Cancer is the second most deadly disease in the United States, behind heart disease. There are tests for some cancers — mammograms, pap smears, colon screenings — but not all.

Scientists are developing tests to screen for cancers. One prominent one is called Galleri. It’s not yet FDA-approved.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young talks to Dr. Eric Klein, chair of the Urological and Kidney Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and a professor of surgery at the clinic’s Lerner College of Medicine. In 2020 the Cleveland Clinic joined a study from Grail, the clinical lab behind Galleri, enrolling patients to try the blood test.

Click here to find out more about Galleri.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org. [Copyright 2022 NPR]