Each year, around 2,500 people are diagnosed with cancer in Malta. Now, a new blood test, available privately at the cost of €1,200, can detect the presence of over 70 different types of cancer cells - with caveats. Claudia Calleja spoke to someone who took the test and someone who does not intend to.

‘I don’t want to take chances’

Joshua Grima

Joshua Grima, 49, decided to take the blood test as soon as he learnt it was available.

Thankfully, his result came out negative. “I was worried it would be positive, God forbid. But had it been, I would have caught it immediately and taken action,” he said.

“The cancer death rate is so high and there are so many potential cancer-inducing hazards around us. As the father of two young sons, aged two and five, and having lost quite a few relatives to cancer – including grandparents and aunts – I don’t want to take any chances,” said Grima, who works in the construction industry.

Grima confessed that he takes his health very seriously and believes in prevention. “When I saw that the test has such high reliability and can detect so many different types of cancers, I immediately wanted to do it. I am the sort of person who carries out routine health checks and this has now become one of them, which I intend to do regularly,” he said adding that he wanted to be able to detect any possible illnesses early so that he could act on the diagnosis and increase the chances of a successful recovery to him and his family.

‘I don’t feel the need to test’

Daphne Said

Daphne Said, 70, does not intend to take the test. She monitors her health by carrying out regular routine checks that include annual blood tests and breast and colon cancer screening and she is happy keeping things as they are.

“I don’t feel the need to do this test. I look after my health. I go to my doctor and do what he tells me to do. I don’t feel the need to do more. I can understand that there are people who might want to do this test, such as those who suffer from anxiety and are worried about their health or people with a cancer family history but I don’t feel the need to do it,” she said, noting that the cost of the test was also very steep.

“I guess it’s always like that when there is something new. It starts off expensive,” she said.

Said, a widow who has two sons aged 42 and 45 and one young grandson, explained that, while she had relatives who had cancer, her family did not have a strong cancer history so she was not too worried about it all. Her sons knew exactly how she thought about the subject but if they wanted to do the test she would respect it, she said.

About the blood test

Called Trucheck, the blood test was created by UK-based molecular oncology facility Datar Cancer Genetics and is being offered at Saint James Hospital’s Medical Laboratory Services at the cost of €1,200.

The test, which underwent extensive clinical validations involving more than 40,000 participants, has a sensitivity of around 88 per cent and is around 96 per cent accurate.

The non-invasive blood test detects the presence of circulating cancer cells in the blood and can pinpoint the location or tissue of origin for certain types of cancers that include melanoma and cancer in the breasts, lungs, thyroid, liver and more.

However, a negative result means there are no cancer cells in the blood at that particular point in time. This means the test has to be carried out regularly and is not a replacement for routine cancer screening.

A positive result, on the other hand, means that while there are cancer cells in the blood, a patient would not necessarily need treatment. The cancer cell detected might die off alone or might be a sign of a tumour that will form decades later.