All-cause mortality as the primary endpoint for the GRAIL/National Health Service England multi-cancer screening trial. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carr, David; Kent, David M.; Welch, H. Gilbert
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical screening. Volume 29:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 6
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Cancer screening -- multi-cancer early detection -- multi-cancer screening -- screening; Medical screening -- Periodicals; 362.177
• DOI: 10.1177/09691413211059638
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-1413

Abstract

A randomized trial of the GRAIL Galleri TM multi-cancer screening test is being planned for the National Health Service in England, and will have 140, 000 healthy participants aged 50–79: 70, 000 exposed to screening and 70, 000 unexposed. The test reportedly detects 50 different cancers and is expected to reduce all-cancer mortality by approximately 25%. Given this effect size—and that cancer deaths constitute a large fraction of all deaths—the trial is sufficiently large to test the effect on all-cause mortality. Because most patients believe cancer screening "saves lives", the GRAIL/National Health Service collaboration could set the evaluation standard for multi-cancer screening.