Multi-Biomarker Blood Test Detects Early-Stage Cancers Across Types

In addition, the AACR Cancer Prevention Research Award for Outstanding Journal Article will recognize a publication reporting multiyear MCED outcomes from the DETECT-A study, described as the first large prospective interventional trial of a blood-based MCED test that identified nine cancer types.

Cancerguard is a laboratory-developed test designed to detect multiple, including highly aggressive, cancers at early stages from a single blood draw. The assay integrates two biomarker classes—DNA methylation and protein—to broaden detection across tumor types and stages. The testing workflow follows a streamlined, imaging-based diagnostic pathway intended to help reduce unnecessary follow-up procedures and was developed with high specificity to minimize false positives.

The commercially available test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other regulatory authority. It is intended to complement existing guideline-recommended screening where applicable and to address cancers without established screening options.

In a prospectively collected case-control study presented as AACR Abstract 1109, nearly half of positive cancer signals were driven by methylation alone (47.1%), with additional detection from protein-only signals (7.4%) and from combined methylation-plus-protein signals (45.5%). In early-stage disease, many cancer signals were detected by a single biomarker class, underscoring the complementary contributions of each modality. The reported false-positive rate was 2.6%, and none of those false positives were double-positive for both biomarkers.

AACR Annual Meeting 2026 is also honoring research reporting multiyear outcomes from the DETECT-A study, which showed that after a median follow-up of approximately four years, all patients treated for stage I or II cancers remained alive and cancer-free. The award highlights the importance of these data in advancing evidence for the clinical impact of multi-cancer early detection (MCED), an area where long-term outcomes have historically been limited. The CancerSEEK test evaluated in DETECT-A is cited as the forerunner to Cancerguard.

“We designed Cancerguard as the first-of-its-kind multi-biomarker test because no one signal tells the whole story. By combining biomarkers, we can detect cancer earlier, when it matters most.” said Tom Beer, M.D., chief medical officer, multi-cancer early detection, Abbott's cancer diagnostics busines.

“Long-term follow-up provides critical insight into how multi-cancer early detection can shape the future of cancer screening. With nearly 70 percent of cancers occurring in types without recommended screening, these findings highlight the potential for MCED to increase early detection and improve outcomes,” added Beer