New Blood Test Detects Over Fifty Cancers Before Symptoms Strike at Frederick Health

Frederick Health is now offering the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test, a blood test that can screen for over 50 types of cancer often before symptoms appear.  

Frederick Health is the second site in Maryland to offer the Galleri® test, which screens for a unique "fingerprint" of cancer from DNA fragments shed from cancer cells. With a single blood draw, patients can be simultaneously screened for both common and rare cancers including kidney, pancreatic, stomach, and bone cancer.  

In conjunction with typical routine screenings, Frederick Health physicians can detect aggressive cancers in patients before they become symptomatic, vastly improving outcomes with this additional, minimally invasive screening. 

“This test expands our reach for cancer screening,” said Patricia Rice, Clinical Director for Precision Medicine & Genetics at Frederick Health. “Most families don’t know that screening for some cancers, such as pancreatic cancer or leukemia, isn’t routinely available. But this test can detect signals from both.” 

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, about 70% of cancer deaths come from cancers with no standard screening.  

“For decades, providers have only tested patients for five of the most common types of cancer through routine care,” said Rice. “The Galleri® complements these screenings by providing an additional, broad scope to people who possess an elevated risk of cancer.”  

The risk for cancer increases with age, but early cancer detection has been limited across the country. According to the National Institutes of Health, over 50% of cancers are diagnosed in later stages, when it is hardest to treat and options for care are limited. But when detected early, survival outcomes dramatically improve.   

“Detecting cancer early gives patients more options for less invasive treatments, better survival rates, and overall a better quality of life,” said Dr. Patrick Mansky, Medical Director of Oncology and Integrative Services at Frederick Health. “If we can catch and treat it before symptoms start to show through screening, they may never show at all.” 

Offering this test is part of Frederick Health’s commitment to bringing the latest in early cancer detection innovation to our community.