A new multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test profiled in Medscape claims to detect 13 types of cancer—including hard-to-screen cancers like pancreatic and ovarian—with high sensitivity and specificity. In a prospective study, it showed 87.4% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity in validation cohorts.
However, in asymptomatic screening, the test produced a 25% positive predictive value—meaning 3 out of 4 positive results were false alarms. While early detection remains promising (especially in cancers with no current screening tools), researchers urge caution due to risks of overdiagnosis and unnecessary anxiety.