Multi-Cancer Blood Test in Greater Boston
One blood draw that looks for signals from many cancers at once, and 6 clinics in Greater Boston that list it.
- Time
- One visit A single blood draw
- What you do
- Give a blood sample No scan
- You get
- Signal found or not found With a likely origin if found
A multi-cancer blood test looks for traces that tumours can release into the blood, such as fragments of DNA, and checks for a signal from many cancer types at once. Where it finds one, it may suggest where in the body the signal comes from.
It is an emerging test, and none has been authorized by the FDA. A positive result needs imaging and other tests to confirm it, a negative result does not mean no cancer is present, and it is offered in addition to guideline cancer screening rather than instead of it. Multi-cancer early detection blood testing is offered under brands like Galleri.
Cancer in Greater Boston, by the numbers
The rate of past cancer diagnoses in Greater Boston is about the same as the national rate. About 1 in 12 adults in Greater Boston have ever been diagnosed with cancer, other than common skin cancers, compared with about 1 in 13 nationally. That adds up to roughly 290,000 adults across five counties.
CDC estimates. PLACES figures are modelled from a national health survey, not counted from medical records, so read them as estimates.
See how the five counties compare
| County | Cancer (other than skin cancer) | Colorectal screening up to date (ages 45 to 75) | Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 8.1% | 69.6% | 82.0% |
| Suffolk | 5.8% | 63.8% | 85.4% |
| Essex | 8.8% | 69.0% | 83.5% |
| Norfolk | 8.9% | 69.1% | 86.6% |
| Plymouth | 9.6% | 72.7% | 87.1% |
| Greater Boston | 8.1% | 68.7% | 84.2% |
| United States | 7.8% | 63.8% | 76.1% |
Source: CDC PLACES, 2022 and 2023 county estimates. Greater Boston = Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties, weighted by adult population.
longevityclinicshub.comYour regular doctor can tell you which standard screenings are due for your age. Those come first, and the newer tests above are extras, not replacements.
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Multi-Cancer Blood Test: common questions
Which clinics in Greater Boston list multi-cancer early detection blood tests?
6 in our Greater Boston guide: Ahn Point Wellness, Personal Health MD, Healthspan Longevity, Goodhaven Health, Mass General Brigham Executive Health Program and Danvers Family Doctors.
What happens after a positive result?
More tests, which can include imaging and sometimes a biopsy. In published research, many positive results were not followed by a cancer diagnosis.
Has it been shown to lower cancer deaths?
Not yet. Large trials are still running, which is why it sits alongside guideline screening rather than replacing it.