Main Session
Sep
30
PQA 09 - Hematologic Malignancies, Health Services Research, Digital Health Innovation and Informatics
3601 - The Role of Multicancer Early Detection tests (MCED) in National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers and National Comprehensive Cancer Network Cancer Centers: A Review of Public-Facing Data and Implications for Clinical Practice
Presenter(s)
Amarinthia Curtis, MD - Gibbs Cancer Center, Spartanburg, SC
M. Powers1, S. Patel1, S. Kitchens1, M. Pavan1, and A. E. Curtis2; 1Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Spartanburg, SC, 2Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute, Spartanburg, SC
Purpose/Objective(s): Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) tests analyze circulating DNA or proteins to detect cancer earlier than current methods, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality. Despite significant research interest, it is unclear how extensively MCED tests are being implemented clinically at National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Cancer Centers. This study hypothesizes that while MCED tests are gaining traction in research, clinical adoption remains limited.
Materials/Methods:
The public-facing websites of all NCI and NCCN Cancer Centers were systematically reviewed in June 2024 to identify information on MCED tests and their clinical use. Search terms included "MCED," "Multi Cancer Early Detection," "Galleri," "cfDNA," and "Multi Cancer Detection." Data were collected on mentions of benefits, cautions, specific test types, and the existence of dedicated MCED clinics. Results were analyzed to assess patterns of clinical adoption and public communication.Results:
Among 74 NCI Cancer Centers, 15 (20.3%) mentioned MCED tests on their public websites. Two centers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA) and Knight Cancer Institute (Portland, OR), reported having dedicated MCED clinics. Two centers, Rogel Cancer Center (Ann Arbor, MI) and Huntsman Cancer Institute (Salt Lake City, UT), addressed cautions regarding MCED test use, highlighting risks such as false positives, false negatives, and potential overdiagnosis. The remaining centers discussed MCED tests in general or highlighted ongoing research. Among the 33 NCCN institutions, 12 discussed MCED tests, for a prevalence of 36%. All twelve of theses NCCN institutions were also NCI institutions.Conclusion:
This study highlights the gap between MCED research and clinical adoption, with most centers providing little or no publicly available information. While MCED-related research is ongoing at several centers, clinical implementation and public-facing communication remain limited. Barriers such as financial costs, test reliability, and clinical readiness likely contribute to this limited adoption. Early detection technologies like MCED could impact cancer staging and treatment, particularly in radiation oncology, by facilitating earlier interventions. Future research should investigate internal adoption patterns and clinical outcomes to bridge the gap between research and practice.