5 Reasons RGCC is Better Than the Grail for Liquid Biopsy Cancer Testing

There now exists a revolution in cancer diagnosis with early detection, easy monitoring, and personalized treatment.

Liquid biopsy has emerged in the past decade as an advanced tool in early cancer detection. Historically, cancer was suspected on a cancer screening test such as a PSA test, Pap smear, mammogram, colonoscopy, or skin exam.  At which point a tissue sample would be obtained surgically. This sample, called a biopsy, would be examined under a microscope and determined to be cancer or not.

In comparison, a breakthrough discovery of liquid biopsy involves the analysis of a blood sample to determine if a patient has cancer. This approach enables the detection of cancers in a much earlier phase of development. This article explores the significance of liquid biopsy, comparing the two most used companies, RGCC and Galleri. We will explore the applications and the advantages of liquid biopsy, highlighting how liquid biopsy is positioned to transform the landscape of early cancer diagnosis and a personalized medicine approach to treatment.

Over time, due to repeated cell replications, radiation, oxidative stress, viruses, toxins, or trauma, the DNA of every cell in the body gathers damage. To prevent these damaged cells from becoming cancerous, every cell in the body is encoded with a self-destructive code. The ability to self-destruct is critical to the health of your body because it allows a cell to die instead of becoming cancerous.

When a cell’s genetic code for self-destruction is damaged, the cell loses its ability to die. This damaged cell, which is now unable to die, is, in fact, now immortal. Because of this change, the average healthy cell has now become a cancer cell.

The life cycle of cancer begins when the cell’s self-destruction code is damaged and ends when the cancer kills you. Traditional cancer detection methods are usually only effective for diagnosing cancers that have been present in your body for many years.

The advantage of early detection of cancer cannot be underscored enough. Liquid biopsies detect cancer as early as the first year, potentially within the first few months. By analyzing a patient’s blood for circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cancer stem cells (CSCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and cancer cellular biomarkers, liquid biopsy provides a minimally invasive method to identify genetic adaptive changes in a cancer cell. Liquid biopsy can detect early-stage cancers, monitor treatment response, and detect the emergence of resistant mutations. It also enables monitoring of minimal residual disease and detection of cancer recurrence, thus facilitating timely intervention and personalized treatment strategies.

Liquid biopsy offers several advantages over traditional tissue biopsies.

• Liquid biopsy can detect almost every type of cancer early, leading to improved patient outcomes and survival rates.
• Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive procedure that eliminates the need for invasive surgeries and reduces patient discomfort and associated risks.
• Liquid biopsy allows for repeated sampling, enabling real-time disease progression and treatment response monitoring.
• Liquid biopsy is less prone to sampling bias, as it captures the genetic diversity of tumors more thoroughly than a single tissue biopsy.

Cancer screening is a critical component of early detection and prevention strategies. Recent advancements in medical research have led to the development of various screening tests aimed at identifying cancer at its earliest stages. Among these, RGCC (Research Genetic Cancer Centre) and the Grail test by Galleri have emerged as prominent contenders. While both tests hold promise, we would like to highlight why MDLifespan offers RGCC cancer screening to our clients instead of the Grail test by Galleri.

RGCC cancer screening stands out because of its comprehensive biomarker analysis. The RGCC test assesses circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cancer stem cells (CSCs), and circulating cancer cellular markers to provide a detailed understanding of a patient’s cancer profile. In contrast, the Grail test primarily focuses on cfDNA alone, limiting its ability to assess cancer-related biomarkers comprehensively.

Sensitivity and specificity are crucial factors in determining the accuracy of a cancer screening test. RGCC cancer screening demonstrates superior sensitivity and specificity because of its multi-marker approach. By analyzing multiple biomarkers simultaneously, RGCC can detect cancer cells with high accuracy, even at initial stages when tumor burden is low. In comparison, the Grail test’s reliance on cfDNA alone can reduce sensitivity and specificity, leading to higher false-positive and false-negative rates.

RGCC cancer screening goes beyond merely detecting cancer; it provides valuable information for personalized treatment options. By analyzing the sensitivity of the cancer to various drugs, supplements, and environmental forces, RGCC identifies the most effective treatment modalities and identifies potential drug resistance. This personalized approach enables physicians to tailor treatment plans to each patient’s unique cancer profile. In contrast, the Grail test primarily focuses on identifying the presence of cancer without providing detailed information on treatment options, limiting its clinical utility.

The RGCC cancer screening test has undergone extensive clinical validation, ensuring its reliability and accuracy. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of RGCC in detecting several types of cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate. The evidence supports its clinical utility and validates its superiority over other screening tests. In contrast, while the Grail test has shown promise in early studies, it is still relatively new and lacks the same level of extensive clinical validation as RGCC.

Cost-effectiveness is a crucial consideration in healthcare. RGCC cancer screening offers an economically viable option for cancer detection. By providing comprehensive biomarker analysis in a single test, RGCC reduces the need for multiple tests, leading to cost savings.  In comparison, the Grail test’s reliance on cfDNA alone may result in additional testing requirements, increasing costs.

RGCC cancer screening outperforms the Grail test by Galleri in several key aspects. The comprehensive biomarker analysis, increased sensitivity and specificity, personalized treatment options, extensive clinical validation, and cost-effectiveness collectively contribute to its superiority. These attributes make RGCC a compelling choice for cancer screening, enabling early detection, personalized treatment, and a high degree of successful outcomes for all of those undergoing early detection for cancer.

As you have heard before, the sooner you catch cancer, the better chance you will beat it. The longevity team at MDLifespan recommends having this test done at any age and repeated annually.

If you are local to the Chicago, IL area we can perform the RGCC blood draw in the MDLifespan office. If you cannot get to Chicago, please tell us, and we can help find a location close to you to have the blood test conducted.