US regulators back multi-cancer blood test – but Hong Kong doctors remain cautious

Efforts to detect multiple cancers through a single blood draw are gathering momentum after US regulators endorsed the technology for the first time, although experts say wider adoption in Hong Kong still faces challenges as doctors remain cautious about its clinical value.

In a landmark decision for the emerging field of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel on Thursday voted in favour of US company Grail’s “Galleri test”, recommending it for premarket approval.

MCED tests seek to identify signs of cancer in healthy, asymptomatic individuals by analysing abnormal molecules, including circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), in bodily fluids such as blood and urine.