Jack’s story
Head and Neck Cancer
Jack lives in Indiana with his wife of 36 years, Angie, and has three grown children. An active family, they enjoy boating, golf, skiing, and hiking. With his healthy lifestyle, Jack never imagined that cancer would be part of his story.
Jack and Angie were both drawn to the Galleri test, in part because of her family history of cancer. For Jack, the idea of screening for multiple cancers with a single blood draw was straightforward and appealing. The test was quick, painless, and fit easily into his routine care.
About two weeks later, Jack’s doctor called with unexpected news: His test results showed a Cancer Signal detected with a predicted origin in the head and neck area. Both Jack and Angie were shocked, especially because he was not experiencing any symptoms.
The initial diagnostic workup did not locate any cancer.
“I had a second Galleri test six months after the first one, and the results came back the same,” Jack shared. “So, we had missed something somehow, and so the search begins again.”
During a second exhaustive diagnostic workup a PET scan and biopsy revealed cancer in his tonsil. Jack underwent radiation and chemotherapy and has been in remission since.
The diagnosis and treatment were not easy, but catching the cancer early made all the difference in his outcomes. Jack now sees the Galleri test as an important part of staying proactive about his health.
Today, he is grateful that early detection gave him the chance to continue enjoying life with his family and the activities they love.
“Galleri will definitely remain in my proactive healthcare going forward.
The Galleri test does not detect a signal for all cancers, and not all cancers can be detected in the blood. False-positive and false-negative results do occur. Galleri is a screening test and does not diagnose cancer. Diagnostic testing is needed to confirm cancer. The Galleri test should be used in addition to healthcare provider recommended screening tests.
The overall sensitivity in study participants with head and neck cancer was 85.7% (63.2% for stage I, 82.4% stage II, 84.2% stage III, 96.0% stage IV).
Important Safety Information
The Galleri test is recommended for use in adults with an elevated risk for cancer, such as those aged 50 or older. The Galleri test does not detect all cancers and should be used in addition to routine cancer screening tests recommended by a healthcare provider. Galleri is intended to detect cancer signals and predict where in the body the cancer signal is located. Use of Galleri is not recommended in individuals who are pregnant, 21 years old or younger, or undergoing active cancer treatment.
Results should be interpreted by a healthcare provider in the context of medical history, clinical signs and symptoms. A test result of “Cancer Signal Not Detected” does not rule out cancer. A test result of “Cancer Signal Detected” requires confirmatory diagnostic evaluation by medically established procedures (e.g. imaging) to confirm cancer.
If cancer is not confirmed with further testing, it could mean that cancer is not present or testing was insufficient to detect cancer, including due to the cancer being located in a different part of the body. False-positive (a cancer signal detected when cancer is not present) and false-negative (a cancer signal not detected when cancer is present) test results do occur. Rx only.
Laboratory/test information
GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The Galleri test was developed, and its performance characteristics were determined by GRAIL. The Galleri test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is regulated under CLIA to perform high-complexity testing. The Galleri test is intended for clinical purposes.