Blood test maker Grail has recruited ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Kate Walsh to join a campaign focused on encouraging Gen Xers to get tested for cancer as early as possible.
“Generation Possible” is an unbranded push for multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests—though the campaign website does offer a link to “learn about an MCED option from Grail,” which takes visitors to a separate site for the company’s Galleri test.
In a video on the campaign page, Walsh describes how seeing both of her parents be diagnosed with cancer was a “wake-up call” that encouraged her to take care of her own health, “not just for myself, but for the ones I love.” She says she quit smoking, eats well and exercises regularly and stays on top of recommended cancer screenings.
“My parents and the generations before us didn’t have this as an option, but I’m so glad we do now. We are trying to detect cancer as early as possible. It’s what makes us part of ‘Generation Possible,’” Walsh, who is 57, says at the end of the video, imploring viewers with an elevated cancer risk to talk to their doctors about MCED testing.
The typical slate of recommended tests includes only those for colon, breast, cervical, prostate and lung cancers. MCED tests, meanwhile, aim to detect a much broader range of diseases and at much earlier stages.
In the campaign announcement Tuesday, Grail cited data showing that around 70% of cancer deaths are caused by cancers beyond the five included in recommended screenings and that the five-year survival rate across cancer types is four times higher when it’s diagnosed early.
A quiz on the campaign site helps visitors determine whether they’re eligible for the prescription-only blood tests, which are geared toward those with an elevated risk of cancer. Among the biggest risk factors, per Grail, is age; the average rate of cancer among those aged 50 and older is an estimated 13 times higher than that of younger groups.
“Our research tells us that when most older Americans hear about the benefits of MCED testing, they want to learn more. We recognize our responsibility to educate more people, and we’re thrilled to team up with Kate to drive awareness of the benefits of screening for multiple cancers,” Josh Ofman, M.D., president of Grail, said in the release.
Last summer, following a drawn-out divestment from parent company Illumina, Grail announced it would be narrowing its focus only to the Galleri test, pausing its work on other diagnostics to monitor minimal residual disease, recurrence and more.
The Galleri test analyzes a standard blood draw to look for DNA fragments related to more than 50 types of cancer. It’s currently available in the U.S. as a lab-developed test as Grail pursues full FDA approval.