CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) announced that it will be the first site in Illinois to join a national study about a new way to screen someone for cancer.
The trial will begin this fall. It will examine a blood test from biotechnology company Grail, which screens for a so-called “cancer signal” that university officials said is shared by more than 50 types of cancer. Individuals who are over the age of 50 and have average health will be eligible to participate.
Dr. VK Gadi, the deputy director of UIC’s Cancer Center and a professor of hematology and oncology, said the test looks at whether a patient’s blood matches patterns seen in the way cancer cells act in the body.
“Cancer cells are inherently fragile and constantly turning over,” Gadi said in a press release. “As part of that process, they spill their contents, including DNA, into the bloodstream.
Although the test is commercially available, it has not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
The university said those who participate in the study will have their blood drawn during a primary care visit and receive test results within 14 days. If the test results suggest that cancer is present in the patient, they will receive follow-up diagnostic tests, such as a CT scan or endoscopy, to confirm the test results.
The trial will take place at the University of Illinois Cancer Center and the UI Health Mile Square Health Center.
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