Unlocking the power of biomarker testing for cancer early detection

In the fight against cancer, early detection makes a difference. That’s why researchers are hard at work every day innovating new ways to detect cancer more accurately and earlier than ever before.

That’s the goal of an exciting new initiative called the Texas Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Registry, part of Exact Sciences’ Multi-Cancer Early Detection Falcon Registry Real-World Evidence study.

Baylor Scott & White is a primary study site for the trial, which aims to see if biomarker testing can recognize cancer earlier than standard screenings. 

Early detection in the fight against cancer

Until now, doctors haven’t had any way to help their patients detect cancer early beyond the recommended routine screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies and Pap smears. But 72% of cancers don’t have standard screenings available.

With cancer as the second-leading cause of death in the US, the MCED tests have the potential to transform cancer screening capabilities by making it possible to spot more cancers—even those that currently lack standard screening tests—and intervene earlier, when treatments may be more effective.

"This is a whole new era in which we can detect cancers even before a scan, giving us a chance to intercept cancer earlier than ever before," said Ronan J. Kelly, MD, MBA, director of the Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Baylor University Medical Center, and chief of Oncology at Baylor Scott & White Health – North Texas.

Biomarker testing analyzes specific substances (called biomarkers) in a person’s bodily fluids, such as blood, urine or tissue samples. These biomarkers can provide information about their health status, including the presence of cancer.

As part of the program, healthcare providers at Baylor Scott & White will administer approximately 50,000 Multi-Cancer Early Detection biomarker tests to people from diverse racial, social and geographic backgrounds, including urban and rural areas.

The five-year, multi-site experiment will monitor the impact of MCED testing on the participants’ lives by tracking their health data over time compared to that of people who receive only the standard cancer screenings without the MCED test.

A proactive approach to health

Angelia Hight was the first Baylor Scott & White patient to enroll in the study. Always one to take a proactive approach to her health, she felt this study was an opportunity to do just that.

“This is a positive step for consumers who want to be proactive about cancer,” Angelia said. “We want to be able to detect it early if possible, so we can have a chance at a better outcome than if we detect it later.”

Leading this study is one way we—both providers and patients—at Baylor Scott & White are answering the US government’s call to decrease cancer mortality by 50% over the next 25 years, a challenge established by the Cancer Moonshot initiative.

“With this important work, we’re helping to advance proactive cancer detection efforts,” Dr. Kelly said. “We’re excited to help close gaps in existing cancer screening programs.”

Learn more about cancer research today.