The Power of Early Detection: Elevating Proactive Care with Cancer Screening
6 Minutes
Team Curative
Jun 21, 2024
When it comes to the well-being of employees, the current healthcare system simply won't cut it. We're here to say "no" to the status quo and "yes" to a game-changing solution that prioritizes ease of access and member empowerment. That's why we've teamed up with GRAIL, because we believe it's time for a proactive approach to healthcare. With our partnership, we're proud to offer eligible* members early cancer detection screening.
The Galleri® test from GRAIL is the first-of-its-kind multi-cancer early detection test — a test that detects a signal shared by many of the deadliest cancers with a single blood test. When a signal is detected, the test predicts where in the body that signal is coming from, to help doctors direct the diagnostic workup. Because this is a screening test, not a diagnostic test, further testing is required to diagnose cancer.
Here are a series of questions we asked GRAIL’s Chief Medical Officer, Jeffrey Venstrom, MD on the importance of cancer screening and how early detection can impact health outcomes.
Jeffrey Venstrom, MD, Chief Medical Officer, GRAIL:
What is early cancer detection, and how can it impact an individual's health outcomes?
According to the World Health Organization definition, “...screening consists of testing healthy individuals to identify those having cancers before any symptoms appear.” While today, doctors screen individually for 5 specific cancers (breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate), nearly 70% of deaths are caused by cancers with no recommended screening tests. Many cancers are only found accidentally or when symptoms appear. By then, the cancer is often in late stages when outcomes may be poor, and treatment options may be limited.
Can you explain the different types of cancer screening tests and how the Galleri test works?
There are a handful of cancer screening tests at different levels of development that leverage different modalities. The Galleri test is the only clinically validated blood test on the market in the United States that screens for a DNA “fingerprint” of many of the deadliest cancers before they become symptomatic. These cancers include those with no recommended screening tests today, such as pancreatic, ovarian, and liver cancers. Cancers growing in the body shed DNA into the bloodstream, and although there are many types of cancer, the DNA fragments act like a unique “fingerprint” of cancer. This provides direction to your doctor on the cancer’s origin and next steps for diagnosis.
What coverage options are available?
GRAIL has secured private reimbursement for the Galleri test from several forward-thinking self-insurers in various sectors, such as the technology, healthcare, entertainment, life insurance, and financial industries in the United States, and is pursuing approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to unlock broader coverage.
What are some proactive steps individuals can take to reduce their risk of developing certain types of cancer?
Proactive steps that individuals can take to reduce their risk of developing certain types of cancer include smoking cessation, losing weight, increasing activity, eating a healthy diet, and screening for cancer.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to prevent our way out of cancer completely, though. Things like genetic mutations, exposures like air pollution, or other issues may contribute to cancer development regardless of those proactive steps. That’s one of the reasons why multi-cancer early detection is so important.
How do age, family history, and lifestyle factors impact an individual's risks for cancer, and how does this impact screening recommendations?
Cancer risk increases for everyone as they age regardless of family history—only 5% to 10% of cancers are inherited. Age is the biggest risk factor for cancer - even more so than smoking. In fact, adults over age 50 are 13 times more likely to have cancer compared to people under the age of 50. Talk to your provider about your risk for cancer and whether the Galleri test is right for you.
How does the Galleri test from GRAIL support efforts to address health disparities in cancer screening and outcomes?
GRAIL is committed to broad and equitable access to help address healthcare disparities and improve clinical outcomes. By partnering with health equity experts and listening to diverse and underserved communities, we continue to explore barriers to MCED research and learn about how our screening test can be successfully implemented in all care settings outcomes.
How can employers play a role in promoting cancer screening and preventative care for their employees?
Employers can play a critical role in making cancer prevention and early detection a priority benefit, providing on-site cancer screening events, and honoring cancer awareness months with deep dives into prevention and screening by local experts. Additionally, providing employees with education on their benefit packages is essential to ensuring that employees know what the company has invested in at all levels of care.
What are some common misconceptions about cancer screening, and how can individuals make informed decisions about their health?
The biggest misconceptions are that there are no treatments for some early stage cancers, and that a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence. The treatment guidelines and recent drug approvals, including a handful of drugs approved for a very broad range of cancer types, tell us that virtually all cancers have effective treatment options, and there are only a few cancers that have a watch-and-wait recommendation. There are indeed treatment options for cancers even at early stages. And those that do have that watch-and-wait recommendation are the more indolent cancers, like early-stage prostate and thyroid cancers. We also know that earlier stage diagnosis is associated with improved outcomes. When diagnosed at an early stage, before the cancer has spread, up to 8 out of 10 people can potentially live 5 years or longer, depending on the type of cancer. By contrast, when diagnosed at a later stage, after the cancer has spread, that drops to only 2 out of 10 people living to five years or more.
How can GRAIL’s innovative approach to early cancer detection empower individuals to take charge of their health and well-being?
Doctors can now treat cancer far more effectively, but they can’t treat what they haven’t found. And while doctors can test individually for 5 specific cancers today, nearly 70% of deaths are caused by cancers without recommended screening. Now, there’s a proactive tool to screen for cancer — Galleri which is available through a single blood draw you can now receive alongside your annual physical.
How does innovative healthcare technology play a role in early cancer detection, and what advancements are on the horizon?
GRAIL’s targeted methylation platform, which underlies the Galleri test, and our growing body of clinical and real-world data, provide us with unique insights into cancer biology that enable product improvements over time, and the development of other products beyond asymptomatic cancer screening. Potential applications for our technology in a precision oncology setting include pre-treatment prognosis, post-treatment prognosis or minimal residual disease (MRD), recurrence and clinical monitoring, and novel biomarker discovery. We are leveraging a range of ongoing collaborations with leading academic oncologists and pharmaceutical companies to further develop these product opportunities.
At Curative, we work with employers to offer employees innovative insurance plans that prioritize cancer screening and prevention. This means providing robust coverage for regular screenings as well as making available state-of-the-art new health solutions.
Curative is proud to offer eligible members no-cost** access to the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test from GRAIL. To learn more about this offering, visit curative.com/galleri.
*For eligibility, important safety information, and more, visit curative.com/galleri.
**Every Curative member can qualify for the $0 deductible or copay for in-network care and preferred prescriptions. Just complete a Baseline Visit in your first 120 days of plan effective date. See curative.com to learn more. Curative Insurance Company PPO.
Galleri is a registered trademark of Grail, LLC.
