What if a simple blood test could help detect signals associated with more than 50 types of cancer — even before symptoms appear?
Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing is an emerging approach to cancer screening that could change the way we identify cancer in its earliest stages. At Authentic Health in Asheville, we’re excited about the potential of this technology as another tool for proactive health and cancer screening.
Galleri Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing in Asheville
This September, Authentic Health is offering the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test for $699 (regularly $949).
Galleri is a blood-based test designed to detect cancer signals associated with more than 50 types of cancer and predict where in the body the cancer signal may be located.
Appointments must be reserved in advance. To secure your spot, please email Elizabeth at Elizabeth@authentichealth.com by September 23. Payment is expected at the time of service.
Explore a New Approach to Cancer Screening
One of the biggest limitations we face in cancer treatment is our ability to reliably identify cancer before it reaches a more advanced stage. For some cancers, early detection can lead to more treatment options and better outcomes. The challenge is that our current cancer screening tools only cover a limited number of cancers.
Today, established cancer screening recommendations include screening for cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer. Some tests, such as PSA testing, may also be used to evaluate prostate cancer risk, depending on an individual’s age, risk factors, and preferences.
But there are many other cancers for which we don’t currently have a routine screening test.
That’s where multi-cancer early detection blood tests may eventually play an important role.
What Is Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing?
Multi-cancer early detection, or MCED, testing is an emerging approach to cancer screening that uses a blood sample to look for biological signals associated with multiple types of cancer at the same time.
Cancer cells can release biological material into the bloodstream, including fragments of DNA, changes in DNA methylation, proteins, and other biomarkers. MCED tests analyze these signals and look for patterns that may be associated with cancer. Depending on the test, the results may also provide information about where in the body the cancer signal is most likely to have originated.
The appeal is obvious: instead of having a separate screening test for each individual cancer, one blood draw could potentially look across the body for signals from many different cancers.
But there’s an important distinction to understand.
An MCED test is a screening test, not a cancer diagnosis.
A positive result does not mean that you definitely have cancer. Instead, it means that a cancer-associated signal was detected and that additional diagnostic testing may be necessary. That follow-up could include imaging, laboratory testing, endoscopy, or a biopsy, depending on the results.
Likewise, a negative result does not mean that you are cancer-free. No currently available MCED test can detect every cancer, and some cancers may not produce enough of a detectable signal, particularly when they are very small or at an early stage.
Potential Advantages of MCED Testing
The biggest potential advantage of MCED testing is its ability to look for cancers for which we currently have limited or no routine screening options.
These may include cancers such as:
- Pancreatic cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Certain lymphomas
- Head and neck cancers
- Other cancers that may not be detected until symptoms develop
Finding some of these cancers at an earlier stage could potentially make a meaningful difference in treatment options and outcomes.
Another potential advantage is that some MCED tests are designed to maintain a relatively low false-positive rate. That’s important because a false-positive cancer screening result can lead to additional imaging, procedures, expense, and anxiety.
However, there is an important trade-off.
A test designed to minimize false positives can potentially miss some cancers. That’s why understanding both sensitivity and specificity is so important when evaluating an MCED test.
MCED testing should also be viewed as complementary to, rather than a replacement for, established cancer screening.
If you’re due for a mammogram, colonoscopy or other colorectal cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, or lung cancer screening, an MCED blood test does not take the place of those recommended tests.
What Are the Limitations of Multi-Cancer Early Detection Tests?
The promise of MCED testing is significant, but there are still important questions we need to answer.
One of the biggest limitations is that the tests do not detect every cancer equally well.
For example, published data from individual MCED platforms show significant differences in sensitivity depending on the type and stage of cancer being detected. Some cancers produce stronger detectable signals than others, while very early cancers can be particularly difficult to identify.
This means that a test can have impressive overall performance numbers while still being much less effective at detecting certain individual cancers.
Another important question is whether finding cancer earlier with an MCED test actually reduces the likelihood of dying from that cancer.
That’s a critical distinction. Detecting something earlier sounds beneficial, but cancer screening needs to demonstrate that earlier detection ultimately improves meaningful outcomes for patients. Researchers are still studying this question, and randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the overall benefits and potential harms of MCED screening.
Other unanswered questions include:
- Does detecting cancer earlier consistently improve survival?
- Does early detection change treatment options or treatment strategies?
- Could MCED testing lead to overdiagnosis?
- What happens after a positive result?
- How much additional testing is necessary to locate the cancer?
- How often should someone be tested?
- Which patients are most likely to benefit?
These are important questions, and they are why I think patients should understand both the promise and the limitations of MCED testing before deciding whether it is right for them.
Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing in Asheville, NC
For patients in Asheville and Western North Carolina, MCED testing represents an interesting new option in the broader conversation around preventive health and cancer screening.
Asheville has a strong medical community, and patients are increasingly interested in proactive approaches to identifying health risks before they become more serious problems.
MCED testing may be particularly worth discussing with your physician if you are an older adult, have a significant family history of cancer, have certain environmental or occupational exposures, or have other factors that may increase your risk of developing cancer.
That doesn’t mean that everyone needs an MCED test. In fact, because these tests are still an emerging technology, the decision should be individualized.
The right conversation is less, “Should everyone get this blood test?” and more, “Could this test provide meaningful additional information based on my individual risk factors and existing cancer screening?”
That’s a conversation worth having with a physician who understands both the technology and its limitations.
Who Should Consider an MCED Test?
Because MCED testing is not currently part of routine, guideline-recommended cancer screening, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer about who should get tested.
There may be a stronger rationale for discussing testing with:
- Adults over age 50 who are interested in broader cancer screening
- People with a strong family history of cancer, particularly cancers without established screening tests
- People with certain risk factors for cancer, including a significant smoking history or occupational exposures
- People with a personal history of cancer who are discussing additional surveillance options with their physician
The important point is that risk factors and individual circumstances matter.
A negative MCED result should never be interpreted as a guarantee that cancer is not present. And a positive result requires appropriate medical follow-up rather than assuming that cancer has been diagnosed.
Does an MCED Blood Test Replace a Mammogram or Colonoscopy?
No.
This is perhaps the most important thing to understand about multi-cancer early detection testing.
Even if you have an MCED blood test, you should continue to follow recommended cancer screening guidelines.
That means staying up to date with appropriate screenings such as:
- Mammograms for breast cancer screening
- Colorectal cancer screening
- Cervical cancer screening
- Lung cancer screening when you meet the appropriate risk criteria
Current evidence supports continuing standard cancer screening regardless of whether someone has an MCED test.
Think of MCED testing as a potential additional layer of screening, not a replacement for the screening tools we already know can save lives.
Is Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing FDA Approved?
This is an important question because the technology is developing rapidly.
As of September 2026, no multi-cancer detection test has received FDA authorization for routine cancer screening. Some tests are commercially available as laboratory-developed tests, but that is different from FDA authorization and does not mean the test has been proven to reduce cancer mortality.
The regulatory landscape is evolving, however. The FDA has scheduled an advisory committee meeting to review the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test, which is intended to detect cancer-specific methylation patterns in blood and identify the likely tissue of origin when a cancer signal is detected.
That makes this an especially interesting time for the field.
The Future of Cancer Screening
I am very excited about the potential of multi-cancer early detection testing.
The idea that a simple blood draw could eventually help identify multiple cancers before they cause symptoms has the potential to fundamentally change how we approach cancer screening and prevention.
But we aren’t there yet.
The technology is promising, and research is moving quickly, but we still need better evidence about which patients benefit most, how these tests should be used, how positive results should be managed, and whether widespread MCED screening ultimately reduces cancer-related deaths.
For the right patient, however, an MCED test may be worth discussing as an additional tool for proactive cancer screening and preventive health.
If you’re considering a multi-cancer early detection test, talk with your physician about your personal risk factors, family history, current cancer screenings, and what you would do if the test came back positive or negative.
The future of cancer screening may very well involve a simple blood test. But for now, the smartest approach is to use these emerging technologies alongside — not instead of — the cancer screening tools we already know are important.
If you’re in Asheville, NC, and interested in taking a more proactive approach to your health and cancer risk, talk with your physician about whether multi-cancer early detection testing makes sense for you.