Abbott announced on April 17 that it will present new data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, highlighting advancements in its multi-biomarker, multi-cancer early detection program and the commercially available Cancerguard test. The AACR will also recognize a publication reporting long-term outcomes from the DETECT-A study with its Cancer Prevention Research Award for Outstanding Journal Article.
The developments are significant because early detection of cancer can lead to better patient outcomes, especially for types of cancer that do not have routine screening options. Abbott said that combining methylation and protein biomarkers in the Cancerguard test improves detection across various stages and types of cancer.
In a recent case-control study, nearly half of positive cancer signals were detected by methylation alone, while additional cases were identified using protein-only or combined biomarker signals. The company reported that none of the false-positive results involved both biomarkers. “We designed Cancerguard as the first-of-its-kind multi-biomarker test because no one signal tells the whole story,” said Tom Beer, M.D., chief medical officer for multi-cancer early detection at Abbott’s cancer diagnostics business. “By combining biomarkers, we can detect cancer earlier, when it matters most.”
The AACR award recognizes research from the DETECT-A study—the first large prospective interventional trial using a blood-based MCED (multi-cancer early detection) test—which found nine different types of cancers and showed all patients treated for stage I or II cancers remained alive and free from disease after about four years. “Long-term follow-up provides critical insight into how multi-cancer early detection can shape the future of cancer screening,” Beer said. He added: “With nearly 70 percent of cancers occurring in types without recommended screening, these findings highlight the potential for MCED to increase early detection and improve outcomes.”
The DETECT-A study enrolled more than 10,000 women with no history of cancer to see if a blood test could help detect cancers before symptoms appeared when used alongside standard screenings. The tested product was an earlier version leading up to Cancerguard.
Cancerguard is currently offered as a laboratory-developed test intended to identify multiple aggressive cancers at an early stage through a simple blood draw by integrating two classes of biomarkers. While developed with high specificity to reduce false positives and unnecessary procedures, Abbott noted that Cancerguard has not been cleared or approved by any regulatory authority.
