Quest Diagnostics Integration Accelerates Galleri Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test Accessibility for U.S. Providers

GRAIL and Quest Diagnostics have launched a significant integration that directly streamlines physician access to the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test. Beginning February 2025, providers across the United States can now order GRAIL’s diagnostic solution seamlessly through the Quest Diagnostics connectivity system—the same platform that enabled over 500,000 healthcare professionals to manage laboratory orders last year.

Enhanced Provider Experience Through Integrated Ordering

The collaboration represents a critical shift in how healthcare professionals interact with advanced cancer screening technology. Rather than navigating separate ordering systems, physicians can now request the Galleri test directly through their existing Quest workflows, whether via the Quanum laboratory portal or through one of the 900+ connected electronic health record (EHR) systems. This integration eliminates friction points that previously complicated the adoption process.

“Every interaction matters when physicians face time constraints and patient volume pressures,” explains Josh Ofman, MD, MSHS, President at GRAIL. “By embedding the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test into providers’ established ordering habits, we remove barriers that prevent earlier cancer detection.”

Nationwide Laboratory Network Expansion

The integration extends GRAIL’s reach across Quest Diagnostics’ extensive infrastructure—approximately 7,400 patient access points nationally. Patients carrying a physician’s test order can now visit any Quest location for their blood draw, eliminating the previous requirement to coordinate separate specimen collection arrangements. This decentralization particularly benefits patients in underserved regions with limited specialized diagnostic centers.

How the Galleri Technology Works

The Galleri multi-cancer early detection test operates on a deceptively simple principle: cancers shed DNA into the bloodstream as they develop, creating a molecular fingerprint unique to the disease. A single blood draw enables detection of DNA patterns associated with some of medicine’s most lethal malignancies—pancreatic, esophageal, ovarian, and liver cancers—many of which currently lack recommended screening protocols.

The test’s sensitivity varies by cancer type and stage. Clinical data demonstrates detection rates of 83.7% for pancreatic cancer overall (reaching 95.9% in stage IV presentations), 85.0% for esophageal cancer (100% sensitivity in stage IV), 83.1% for ovarian cancer, and 93.5% for hepatobiliary malignancies. Beyond identification, the technology provides tissue-origin predictions, offering clinicians a diagnostic roadmap for confirmatory evaluation.

Clinical Context and Safety Considerations

The Galleri multi-cancer early detection test complements rather than replaces established screening protocols. It targets adults aged 50 and older with elevated cancer risk and operates alongside mammography, colonoscopy, prostate-specific antigen testing, and cervical screening. The test requires physician prescription and is contraindicated during pregnancy, in individuals under 21, and during active cancer treatment.

Importantly, a negative result does not definitively exclude malignancy, while positive signals mandate confirmatory imaging or tissue diagnosis. False-positive and false-negative occurrences remain inherent limitations of any screening methodology.

Strategic Implications for Cancer Detection Infrastructure

This partnership addresses a critical healthcare gap: nearly 70% of cancer-related deaths involve malignancies without existing population-level screening recommendations. By integrating GRAIL’s technology into Quest’s ubiquitous laboratory network, the collaboration democratizes access to multi-cancer early detection for routine clinical practice. The previous reliance on specialized ordering channels is displaced by standardized workflows, potentially accelerating adoption across primary care, oncology, and preventive health settings.

Quest Diagnostics’ scale—annually serving one in three American adults and partnering with half of U.S. physicians and hospital systems—positions this integration as a transformational moment for how providers approach cancer risk assessment in asymptomatic patients.