An MCED is a blood test that detects and analyzes the levels of multiple biomarkers (DNA or protein) that signal the presence of many types of cancer. The goal of an MCED is to detect a cancer early, before symptoms appear as earlier intervention often results in better outcomes.

How is TumorDx™ different from other MCEDs?

MCEDs are a relatively new type of cancer screening approach that began to enter the market in 2019 and 2020. Most MCEDs measure circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). 20/20’s TumorDx, in contrast, measures tumor antigens, proteins that tumor cells release in the bloodstream or present on their surface that are recognized by the immune system

These protein biomarkers have FDA-approved in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits available through major US diagnostic manufacturers. The use of FDA-approved tests, run in a CLIA certified laboratory, ensures the analytical performance of these tests. Furthermore, by using these off-the-shelf individual tests, the costs of TumorDx™ can be kept to a minimum making it one of the most affordable MCEDs on the market.

Unlike most other available MCEDs, TumorDx™ was developed in an entirely asymptomatic, real-world cohort of individuals, meaning that at the time of testing patients were not known to have cancer and all identified cancers were detected in the post-test period. Most developers use known cases of disease for test development which allows them to use smaller study cohorts. This later approach may result in biomarker signatures that have greater ability to differentiate between cancer and non-cancer (greater sensitivity and specificity), but less overall utility, as they do not detect cancer as early.