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

Jacob Marquez, a clinical research coordinator, draws blood from a clinical study participant (Gillian Flaccus/AP)
Jacob Marquez, a clinical research coordinator, draws blood from a clinical study participant (Gillian Flaccus/AP)

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. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.