Exciting results for Galleri® cancer test revealed at leading oncology conference
Researchers have just revealed new exceptional results for the Galleri cancer screening test – now available in Canada exclusively at Medcan.
These findings come from PATHFINDER 2, the largest interventional Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) study conducted in North America. The results are based on following the first cohort of 25,000 adults in Canada and the U.S. for one year after their Galleri blood test, and they highlight powerful new information about the value of this test in early cancer detection.
Following the presentation of the results on October 18, 2025 at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference—a leading global event in cancer research—this breakthrough is making headlines worldwide. Early coverage can be found on media including BBC.com and Fast Company, drawing attention to the significance of these findings.
4 of the most powerful highlights from the data:
As you consider the Galleri test, here are 4 important findings from the PATHFINDER 2 study and other GRAIL studies that are especially valuable to understand:
1. 7x more cancers detected
The Galleri test increases the number of cancers detected by up to seven times when added to standard-of-care and routine cancer screenings in a broad, asymptomatic population. This tells us that adding Galleri to your proactive screening plan can give you a much greater chance of finding cancer early than with just routine screenings alone.
2. Especially sensitive to some of the deadliest cancers
Galleri is especially sensitive to many aggressive cancers that are often caught too late—like pancreatic, liver, and ovarian. The test correctly finds cancer in about 74% of people who actually have one of the 12 deadliest types of cancer. Previous studies showed that the sensitivity is particularly high for liver / bile duct (93.5%), and pancreatic (83.9%) and ovarian (83.1%).
3. High accuracy in accurately detecting a cancer signal
The Galleri test provides two possible results: “cancer signal detected” or “no cancer signal detected.”
When the test detects a cancer signal, the study showed that there is a strong likelihood that it is accurate. In PATHFINDER 2, the positive predictive value (PPV) was 61.7%, meaning most cancer signal detected results resulted in a confirmed cancer diagnosis. For comparison, the PPV for mammograms ranges from only 3.8% – 16.8% - much lower than Galleri.
The study results show that the false positive rate is 0.4%. That means if 1000 people are tested, only 4 will receive a cancer signal detected result and go on to have no cancer diagnosis. To look at it another way, people who don’t have cancer are very unlikely to receive a cancer signal from the test (99.6%), which minimizes unnecessary diagnostic workups and follow-up testing.
4. Targeted results and rapid diagnosis
When a cancer signal is found, Galleri predicts the organ / tissue where the cancer originated with over 90% accuracy. This is a very compelling result of the study and a key feature of the Galleri test – not only will you get an indication that there is cancer present, but it is also highly likely that the test will accurately predict where the cancer originated. This helps your care provider to determine which follow-up testing is needed to confirm a diagnosis with greater precision and efficiency.
Additionally, more than half (53.5%) of new cancers diagnosed in the study were stage I or II, when treatment is most effective and there is potential for cure.
Learn More and Take Action
Watch this 4-minute video for a helpful explanation of the results. You can also hear directly from the lead researcher of the study about what the data revealed.
Medcan is proud to be the official Canadian provider of the Galleri test by GRAIL—a single blood draw that screens for 50+ cancers, including aggressive types such as pancreatic and ovarian. We offer the testing at our Oakville and Toronto clinics and support you at every step of the process. To learn more, visit https://medcan.com/Galleri.
MCED-detected refers to cancers diagnosed within 12 months following a positive MCED test result. (a)
Screen-detected refers to cancer diagnosed following USPSTF grade A/B recommendations, which include screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers. (c)
References:
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/84/6_Supplement/4784/738175/Abstract-4784-PATHFINDER-2-A-prospective-study-to [sourced 10/18/2025]
Nabavizadeh N, et al. Presented at European Society for Medical Oncology; October 17-21, 2025; Berlin, Germany. Presentation LBA64.