Detect cancer and heart disease before symptoms

There are 3 ways to have your Preologi blood tests.

1) Randox Nationwide Phlebotomy Network

After booking your Galleri test with your Patient Care Coordinator you will receive an email link inviting you to book into one of over 60 UK wide Randox phlebotomy centres. Preologi will also ship to you your specialist blood tubes and packaging for you to take to your phlebotomy appointment.

Randox will draw your blood for both the Galleri test and other screening bloods required. The 2 Galleri blood tubes need to be returned immediately in provided packaging for couriring to Preologi and onwards to Grail, California.

2) Preologi Partner Healthcare clinics

Where clients have booked their test with a partner clinic, blood will be drawn by that clinic partner and returned to Preologi for processing.

3) Home/Office testing

In certain localities Preologi can offer in-home/office phlebotomy for a supplemental charge. For corporate clients Preologi can provide high volume testing services within the workplace at no extra charge.

Currently all UK and European Galleri tests are all analysed in the Grail Bio laboratories in California. Our target turnaround time from blood draw to test result is 2 weeks, occasionally this can be longer. On receipt of test results Preologi will share these with the client and outline next steps.

No, it is not possible to detect every cancer that may be present. The biology of the cancer is an important determinant of the success of the test at detecting an underlying cancer. The Galleri test does significantly increase the detection of cancers in asymptomatic patients. In the Pathfinder 2 study (>25,000 US patients, > 50 years old) the test detected 73.7% of the 12 cancers that cause 2/3rds of all US cancer deaths and over 50% cancers without common screening options. Importantly in this large study the test increased screen detected cancers by over 7 fold.

No, different screening programs use different techniques to detect common cancers and these will be complemented, but not replaced, by the Galleri test. It remains vitally important that patients continue to engage with their regular screening programs.

Yes, but these are rare. One of the particular strengths of the Galleri test is the low number of false-positive (false alarms) triggered by the Galleri test. This is important as false alarms cause significant anxiety, can cause invasive downstream diagnostic testing, and can absorb large amounts of resource when being investigated. Galleri has a reported specificity of 99.6% in 50-75 year olds.

Yes, but the real value of the technology is the benefit it confers from sequential testing. A single test will give a client a snapshot of their risk of having an undiagnosed cancer at that point in time. What is more important is a rolling strategy designed to pick up any developing cancers early, so timely minimally disruptive, curative treatment can be sought.

When a Galleri test result indicates that a cancer signal is present, it will also report which tissue or organ the cancer has arisen from. Our Preologi clinician will discuss the findings with the client and will explain what the results indicate what next testing is required.

Different cancer signals require different subsequent testing. A bowel signal may require a colonoscopy, an oesophageal signal, an endoscopy and a pancreatic signal, an MRI. Preologi can organise urgent next testing, or alternatively liaise with the clients own specialist clinician to ensure timely further evaluation and handover.

Preologi members will have their initial diagnostic investigations funded by Preologi to ensure timely and rapid support. In rare cases the Galleri test may indicate a cancer signal where none is initially found, these cases will have a further Galleri test and PET CT imaging at 3 months. If these tests are normal the patient will return to the normal annual screening program.

A CaRi-Heart Cardiac CT scan is a CT scan focussed on imaging the coronary arteries, the vital blood supply to the heart's arteries. An image of the arteries is obtained using an advanced CT scanner with intravenous contrast. The scanner acquires an image of the heart in the relaxed state, showing the coronary arteries in high resolution..

These images allow for a detailed assessment of the coronary vessels, identifying the presence, extent and importance of any coronary plaque deposits. In addition to this initial data, the scan is also analysed in great detail using the CariHeart Fat Attenuation Index assessment and CariHeart plaque assessment. Combining the expert Preologi cardiologist report with these advanced AI metrics give hitherto unavailable data on an individual’s current cardiac health, their risk of cardiac death over the next 8 years, and their requirement for lifestyle, medical or surgical intervention. For the first time, this technology also allows for the analysis and surveillance of any treatment effect previously initiated.

Preologi partners with leading CT scanning services across the UK. With our growing network of scanners, our aim is to have a partner scanner within 1 hour of 90% of the UK population. The scan data from the CT scan is then transferred to Preologi and analysed by the Preologi Cardiac CT specialists and by the CariHeart process.

Cardiac CT is the leading contemporary method used for the assessment of coronary arteries. As a non-invasive test it enables your cardiology team to analyse your coronary arteries and identify whether there exist any previously unrecognised coronary plaque disease.

These tests are increasingly used not just for patients with cardiac symptoms, but also to understand an individual's current risk of heart attack and as a method to guide pharmacological intervention. In the vast majority of cases cardiac CT is not appropriate for people under the age of 40, unless they had significant symptoms or cardiovascular risk factors that needed further assessment. It is not appropriate if you may be, or are pregnant.

The introduction of CariHeart fat attenuation index assessment has further solidified the position of cardiac CT for identification and management of patients at higher risk of coronary heart disease. Large clinical trials of CariHeart (Orfan study) have demonstrated that it is a superior tool for assessment of cardiovascular risk when compared with current conventional practice. It is not possible to undertake a CariHeart analysis in individuals >80 years old.

There are ongoing large clinical trials (Scot-Heart 2 study & StenoInten-CT) measuring the added benefit of cardiac CT in patients without significant cardiac symptoms.

ACariHeart Cardiac CT scan takes approximately 90 minutes. It is always necessary for initial checklists to be undertaken and a cannula (small tube) to be inserted in the vein of the arm. Sometimes it is necessary to give medication to slow down the heart rate before the scan, these are usually short acting beta blockers, and will be given either by the intravenous or oral route. Often a GTN spray is used under the tongue just prior to the scan to ensure high quality images of the heart arteries.

The scan uses a standard CT contrast agent that is injected through the cannula using a pump. It is common to feel hot and flushed during the contrast injection. The contrast allows for the accurate and detailed assessment of the coronary arteries. It usually takes 15-20 minutes in the scanner room and patients are usually fit to leave 30-45 minutes after the scan has been completed.

Yes, CT scans uses xray to image tissues and are particularly good at showing the bodies arteries.

Yes, but these are low. The use of xray from a cardiac CT scan may increase a 50 year olds lifetime risk of developing cancer by 1 in 5-10,000. This means that there may be one extra cancer caused for 5-10,000 heart scans being undertaken. This risk diminishes as age increases,

Other important risks that need to be considered is the risk of an anaphylactic type reaction to iodine contrast, this is thought to occur in 1 out of 10,000 patients. Skin reactions such as a rash or hives, occur in around 3% patients.

It is not uncommon for patients to feel light headed and a bit faint after the scan, this can occur as a result of the medications (GTN and beta blockers) used to prepare the patient for the scan. These are short lived and very rarely of any significance.

The CT Coronary angiogram and CariHeart analysis will usually take 10-14 days to be returned. If these have been done in conjunction with a Galleri Test, Preologi will aim to gather all results prior to sharing the results package.

If there is any significant abnormality, or evidence of significant increased risk of heart attack or cardiac death, then the Preologi patient care coordinator will arrange an e-consultation between the patient and the Preologi managing clinician.

During this consultation appropriate next steps will be agreed to ensure the future wellbeing of that patient. This may involve introduction of medication, or in occasional situations, a referral out to a cardiologist for coronary artery stenting or bypass surgery.