A new study designed to investigate a blood test that helps detect cancers earlier has opened at Torbay Hospital.

The nationwide SYMPLIFY study, supported by the National Institute for Health Research, will investigate a new multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test in the NHS, known as Galleri, for patients with non-specific symptoms that may be a result of cancer.

The opening of the study is the result of a close collaboration between clinical services and the research and development team at the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

It aims to demonstrate how the Galleri test could be used to increase cancer detection rates and improve diagnostic pathways.

Recruitment of participants started this summer, with the national research team seeking to recruit around 6,000 patients with early signs and symptoms suspicious for cancer from sites across England and Wales by October 29 2021.

Galleri blood samples will be taken from the selected patients, who will have been referred by their GP for rapid diagnostic tests looking for cancer.

Galleri is a blood test that can detect more than 50 different types of cancers with a low false positive rate of less than one percent.

More than 47 of these cancer types lack recommended screening in the UK today.

Using revolutionary next-generation sequencing technology, Galleri has the potential to identify multiple types of cancers at earlier stages of disease compared with traditional diagnostic methods, which should increase the chance of successful treatment and improve outcomes for patients.

SYMPLIFY will assess how Galleri can be used to benefit patients with non-specific symptoms that may be a result of cancer.

The SYMPLIFY study is one of the UK-based clinical trials that healthcare company, GRAIL, is supporting, along with the recently announced NHS-Galleri trial evaluating the Galleri test in primary care settings.

Successful results may see this technology radically revolutionising how cancer is identified in the future.

Dr Louise Medley, Torbay Hospital’s principal investigator for the study, said: “Using the significant advances in the understanding of cancer signals, it really feels as if we are moving closer towards the ultimate goal of improving cancer survival.

“Through earlier diagnosis, targeted investigations, and molecularly driven treatments we can really aim to ’get it right first time’.

“I am delighted that Torbay and South Devon has been given this opportunity to show how we can embed research into everyday clinical practice.”