MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Each year, thousands of West Virginians are screened for five of the most common types of cancers – lung, breast, cervical, colon and prostate cancer. The WVU Cancer Institute, in partnership with the WVU Department of Family Medicine and Community Medicine, and GRAIL, Inc., are conducting a clinical study, including a multi-cancer early detection screening test for eligible patients.
The clinical study uses the Galleri MCED blood test to screen for more than 50 types of cancer. The study is part of a larger evidence-based project called Real-world Evidence to Advance Multi-Cancer Early Detection Heath Equity.
GRAIL, the company behind the Galleri test, uses this proactive screening tool to screen multiple cancers, many of which currently have no recommended screening and often aren’t found until symptoms appear. The goal is to better understand how the test works in everyday clinical settings.
As part of the REACH study, the test is used alongside traditional cancer screening methods to see whether it can help detect cancers earlier and reduce the number of late-stage diagnoses. Learning how the test performs in older adults will help researchers understand both the potential benefits and any risks of using MCED screening in the Medicare population.
The REACH study plans to include 50,000 participants from different clinical settings across North America, including 2,000 from WVU Medicine Primary Care locations throughout the state.
Participants in the study will be eligible to receive up to three annual Galleri tests. After the first Galleri test, patients and their healthcare provider will review the results to determine if further treatment is needed.
To be eligible for the REACH study, participants:
- Must be 50 years or older and under the care of a WVU Medicine primary care provider
- Have Medicare coverage, including traditional Medicare, A and B, or Medicare Advantage
- Have not been diagnosed or treated for cancer in the last three years
- Are not undergoing clinical evaluation for suspicion of cancer
- Are not currently registered in the REACH study at another participating health system
“The WVU Department of Family Medicine and Community Medicine, and WVU Cancer Institute are excited to partner in bringing the REACH study to West Virginia. We hope this study will enable us to expand access to life-saving cancer screenings,” Courtney Pilkerton, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and principal Investigator for the study, said. “By contributing real-world data, trials like REACH, which explore multicancer early detection, could directly impact cancer identification and treatment in West Virginia, where the cancer burden is disproportionately high.”
Patients interested in the REACH study should contact their WVU Medicine primary care provider for a referral. To establish a primary care provider through WVU Medicine, call 855-WVU-CARE (855-988-2273).
