New data at AACR 2026 demonstrate advancements in Cancerguard® Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test

• Data show how a multi-biomarker class approach improves early-stage cancer detection
• AACR will also recognize landmark DETECT-A study publication reporting long-term outcomes supporting the clinical impact of MCED

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE:ABT) will present new data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 demonstrating continued advancements in its multi-biomarker, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) program supporting the commercially available Cancerguard® test. Additionally, the AACR Cancer Prevention Research Award for Outstanding Journal Article will recognize a publication on MCED multiyear outcomes from the DETECT-A study.

Multi-biomarker approach enables broader and earlier cancer detection

New data demonstrate how combining methylation (M) and protein (P) biomarkers improves cancer detection across stages, with each biomarker contributing independently to overall performance. Cancerguard is currently the only commercially available MCED test designed with a multi-biomarker class approach, combining methylation and protein signals to improve detection.

In a prospectively collected case-control study, nearly half of positive cancer signals were driven by methylation alone (47.1%), with additional detection from protein-only (7.4%) and combined biomarker signals (45.5%), supporting broader detection across cancer types and stages.¹ In early-stage disease, many cancer signals were detected by a single biomarker class, demonstrating how each contributes uniquely to overall detection. Notably, none of the 2.6% false-positive results were positive for both biomarkers.¹

"We designed Cancerguard as the first-of-its-kind multi-biomarker test because no one signal tells the whole story," said Tom Beer, M.D., chief medical officer, multi-cancer early detection, Abbott's cancer diagnostics business. "By combining biomarkers, we can detect cancer earlier, when it matters most."

AACR recognizes impactful MCED research with journal award

The AACR Cancer Prevention Research Award for Outstanding Journal Article will be presented to the authors of a 2024 Cancer Prevention Research publication reporting multi-year outcomes from the DETECT-A study, the first large prospective interventional trial of a blood-based MCED test. The study identified nine cancer types, including several without routine screening, and showed that, after a median follow-up of approximately four years, all patients treated for stage I or II cancers remained alive and cancer-free.^2,3

The award recognizes the significance of these multi-year outcomes data in advancing evidence for the clinical impact of MCED, an area where long-term outcomes data have historically been limited.

"Long-term follow-up provides critical insight into how multi-cancer early detection can shape the future of cancer screening," said Beer. "With nearly 70 percent of cancers occurring in types without recommended screening, these findings highlight the potential for MCED to increase early detection and improve outcomes."⁴

About the DETECT-A study

The DETECT-A (Detecting cancers Early Through Elective mutation-based blood Collection and Testing) study was the first-ever large, prospective, interventional study to use a blood test to detect multiple types of cancer in a real-world setting. The DETECT-A study enrolled more than 10,000 women with no history of cancer to determine if a blood test in combination with standard-of-care screenings could detect cancers before signs and symptoms appeared. The CancerSEEK test, the MCED test studied in DETECT-A, was the forerunner to the Cancerguard test.

About the Cancerguard test 

Cancerguard is a laboratory-developed test (LDT) designed to detect multiple cancers, including the most aggressive cancers, in early stages from a simple blood draw. It integrates two classes of biomarkers to enable broader detection and follows a streamlined, imaging-based diagnostic pathway to help reduce unnecessary follow-up procedures. Developed with high specificity to minimize false positives, the test helps detect a wide range of cancers, including those that lack guideline-recommended screening options.⁵ The Cancerguard test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority. To learn more, visit cancerguard.com.  

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. Connect with us at abbott.com and on LinkedIn,  Facebook,  Instagram,  X and YouTube.

1. Gainullin V et al. AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, California. Abstract 1109
2. Buchanan AH, et al. Multiyear clinical outcomes following detection by a blood-based multicancer early detection test. Cancer Prev Res. 2024.
3. N=9 diagnosed with stage I or II cancer. 8 of 8 patients were diagnosed with and treated for stage I or II cancer and achieved remission.
4. Siegel RL, Kratzer TB, Wagle NS, Sung H, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2026. CA Cancer J Clin. 2026;e70043. doi:10.3322/caac.70043
5. Cancerguard Clinician Brochure. Exact Sciences Corporation. Madison, WI.

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SOURCE Abbott