An inexpensive version of the 'Galleri test,' a universal cancer blood test with extreme accuracy, is reportedly being developed by Hong Kong's Centre for Novostics as per Interesting Engineering.

The version is worth only 50 USD, according to professor K.C Allen Chan of the Center of Novastics, during the Hong Kong Laureate Forum 2023. "We are expecting a rapid drop in the cost because of the improvement in the technology," as per Professor Chan.

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A lab technician works on a research process to find new CAR-T cells and RNA in the laboratory of French biopharmaceutical company Cellectis in Paris on September 23, 2021.

The Professor says they and his colleagues are trying to lower the test's current $1,000 price tag. The scientists anticipate that a second-generation model will only cost $200 and will continue to decline to just $50. 

According to its website, the' Galleri test works firstly by looking for a signal that several cancer types share but would miss otherwise. Galleri has an 88% accuracy rate in predicting the tissue type or organ linked to the cancer signal if a cancer signal is found.

This information provided by the universal cancer test may then be used to direct additional diagnostic tests, such as imaging or laboratory work, to confirm the cancer.

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'Galleri's' Effectiveness

In a reported trial of the 'Galleri Test,' out of more than 5000 patients who visited their general practitioner with nonspecific symptoms, the test identified two-thirds of cancerous tumors correctly. On a more impressive note, it can also identify over 50 forms of cancer with a single blood draw. In 85 percent of those instances, it also recognized the initial cancer location. 

The 'Galleri test' proved to be highly beneficial for early detection, as evidenced by the findings showed that patients discovered by screening had a significantly higher survival rate than those who did not receive the test. "0.1 is the hazard ratio.That means that by screening, we can cut mortality by ninety percent," Chan clarified.

The fact that Chan's team discovered a one-in-four incidence of false positives during their DNA testing may have been the most intriguing finding. Four years later, it was found that the people who had reported a false positive had contracted cancer. The results underscored the need for early screening and ongoing observation.  

Recent Incorrect Test Reports

The 'Galleri test' and its parent company 'Grail' came under fire last June when almost 400 of its clients were unintentionally informed that they might have cancer. Still, the company reportedly said, as per the New York Times, that the mistake was due to a "software configuration issue" that issued hundreds of letters with inaccurate test results. 

The report says that, according to 'Grail,' the issue was not brought on by unreliable test findings. According to the firm, more than half of the recipients of the mistaken letter had not yet had their blood extracted for the test. 

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