Summary: Function Health will offer GRAIL’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection test, empowering proactive cancer care through a simple blood draw.
Takeaways:
- Enhanced Early Detection: The Galleri test screens for multiple cancers, including types without current recommended screenings, using a clinically validated method that detects cancer at an early, presymptomatic stage.
- Comprehensive Health Insights: Function Health’s platform already offers over 100 lab tests for its members, significantly surpassing traditional physical exams, and now includes the Galleri test as part of its precision health approach.
- Wider Reach and Accessibility: This partnership aligns with Function Health’s mission to make advanced health tools more accessible, complementing its expansion in New York, New Jersey, and its collaboration with Thrive Global.
Function Health, a health management platform, is collaborating with GRAIL, Inc., a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured, to expand the reach of innovative cancer screening to transform cancer care.
Function Health’s more than 100,000 members nationwide who are eligible will have access to GRAIL’s Galleri test—a clinically validated multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test that screens for multiple cancers with a simple blood draw—as an add-on to its comprehensive list of over 100 lab tests.
GRAIL’s Galleri Test
In 2024, cancer will affect over two million people in the U.S., with more than 611,000 projected to lose their lives to the disease. This highlights an urgent need for proactive, accessible solutions. The Galleri test screens for a “fingerprint” of many of the deadliest cancers—before they become symptomatic. These include cancers we don’t have recommended screening tests for today, including esophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, and liver. The Galleri test is recommended for adults with an elevated risk for cancer, such as those age 50 and older and is available by prescription only.
“With cancer risks rising, there is an urgent need for education, proactive tools, and research to uncover the root causes of harmful diseases,” says Function Health Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Mark Hyman, MD. “Offering the Galleri test in collaboration with GRAIL is essential to ensuring that multi-cancer early detection becomes a routine part of people’s annual health checkups in addition to other recommended screenings, giving us a better chance to screen for cancer before it becomes symptomatic when there may be more treatment options. As Function Health continues to grow, we’re dedicated to empowering our members with the latest science and tools to truly take control of their health.”
Improving Early Cancer Detection
While cancer treatments have become more effective, we can’t treat what we haven’t found. Currently, doctors commonly test for five specific cancers, yet 70 percent of cancer deaths come from types without recommended screening tests. Leveraging Function Health’s innovative platform can help broaden access to testing that has the potential to detect cancer early.
Further Reading
Function Health’s membership includes access to over 100 lab tests—covering everything from heart health, hormones, and thyroid to nutrients, toxins, and autoimmune markers. This is five times more testing than a traditional physical which typically assesses only around 19 biomarkers. With incredible data and insights from the world’s top clinicians along with lifestyle recommendations, Function Health equips its members with essential information to help navigate the course of their health and discover potential issues earlier. By offering access to GRAIL’s Galleri test, Function Health has already helped numerous members detect cancers at an early, presymptomatic stage—giving them the critical opportunity to take proactive steps and connect with essential resources throughout their cancer journey.
“Function Health is pioneering the movement to empower people to take control of their health and provide access to multi-cancer early detection tests like Galleri,” says Josh Ofman, MD, MSHS, president of GRAIL. “GRAIL is using the power of state-of-the-art computer and data science as well as data from one of the largest clinical programs in genomic medicine to date to help solve one of medicine’s greatest challenges. Cancer doesn’t wait, and neither should we. Every day counts in this fight, and together, we’re committed to transforming health outcomes by making early detection more widely available.”
This announcement follows Function Health’s recent nationwide rollout, with services rolling out in New York and New Jersey, as well as a recent partnership with Thrive Global that introduced a new precision health coaching program for employees. As the demand for personalized health strategies grows, Function Health is leveraging the latest technology to deliver accurate and actionable insights that are applicable to each person’s individual life.
