When her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, Cindy Perez of Southwest Ranches, Fla., learned about a new blood test that could help find early cancers. The 50-year-old said she felt fine, but her husband urged her to take the test anyway. To her surprise, the blood test — called Galleri — came back positive. Scans revealed a small tumor in her groin and a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer. She was treated and now, two years later, she’s in remission.
“I don’t like to think about what would have happened if this had been discovered later,” she said. The Food and Drug Administration has not cleared any of the tests for final approval, but they are available as “lab-based” tests under federal regulations that permit their use in certain settings. The tests are not covered by Medicare or other insurance. Nevertheless, some medical practices and employers now provide them.