What is MCED/MCD Testing?

As the name implies, multi-cancer early detection testing is designed to screen for multiple types of cancer at the same time. Some researchers are working on testing that could detect more than fifty different types of cancer with a single test. These include cancer types that can't be detected using traditional screening methods, including liver, skin, kidney, and pancreatic cancers. Others are testing screening methods that would focus on identifying markers for two or three types of cancer. Many studies are focused on the potential of blood-based testing, which includes traditional blood tests and liquid biopsies that search the blood for dead cancerous DNA cells. Other studies are looking into the potential for saliva and/or urine testing.

Many MCD cancer screening researchers are also looking for ways to use AI to improve the results and accuracy levels of MCD testing. While this type of testing is accurate in detecting the presence of cancer cells before a patient experiences symptoms, more work is needed to improve MCED tests' ability to pinpoint the exact type of cancer that a person has. If these tests were to pass the trial stage and receive immediate FDA approval, follow-up testing would be required to determine where the cancer is located, the exact type of cancer a person has, and how to best treat it. Furthermore, AI has the potential to be used to reduce the instances of false positives in MCED testing. Indicators on blood tests that could be caused by cancer may also be caused by less serious conditions, and being able to tell a positive cancer result apart from the result of a condition is essential if blood tests for cancer are to become a common screening method.

MCED/MCD testing should not be confused with genetic testing. MCED and genetic testing trials both involve the use of blood tests, saliva tests, and/or urine tests. Both are also ideal for people who are at high risk of developing cancer. However, that's where the similarity ends. Genetic screening does not search for evidence that a person has cancer but rather looks for certain genes that could indicate a person is at risk of developing a particular type of cancer in the coming years. It has the potential to be highly effective in catching cancer early on, especially if researchers are able to identify more cancer-causing genes. MCED testing, on the other hand, screens for evidence that cancer is already present, even if a person doesn't have symptoms, and can catch cancers that aren't caused by genetic factors.

Who Would Benefit?

The end goal of MCED and other tests being developed in early cancer screening trials is to put early cancer detection tools into the hands of clinics, hospitals, and doctors' offices throughout the nation, making it easy for people to access testing as needed. What's more, since blood tests are relatively fast and non-invasive, MCD testing has the potential to increase testing rates, which, in turn, would increase the early detection and cancer survival rates. Researchers also aim to make MCED/MCD testing an accepted form of preventative care that Medicaid and private insurance agencies would cover.

However, while technology is rapidly advancing, it's not quite at the point where MCED testing could be used to detect cancer in asymptomatic adults. Experts explain that MCED testing needs to become more accurate to avoid false positives. It also needs to become more specific, so doctors don't need to conduct multiple screenings to find the location and exact type of cancer a person has. Even so, it has tremendous potential, and cancer screening trials that focus on MCED testing play a key role in creating tools that can detect cancer in its earliest stages.