Westminster Becomes First Fire Department in Colorado to Offer Galleri Test to Firefighters at High Risk for Cancer Due to Occupational Exposure

GRAIL, LLC, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured, announced today a partnership with the Westminster Fire Department (WFD) in Colorado to provide Galleri^®, GRAIL’s groundbreaking multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test, to WFD’s firefighters and staff. WFD, which operates six fire stations across Westminster, will be the first fire department in Colorado to offer the Galleri test to its workforce.

“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for U.S. firefighters, who face occupational exposures that can increase their cancer risk,” said David Varney, Battalion Chief, WFD. “By offering the Galleri test to our firefighters and other active-duty personnel, we hope to improve early diagnoses and outcomes for our critical first responders.”

Through the collaboration, the Galleri test will first be offered to active-duty firefighters in the highest risk groups, including those over the age of 55 or who have a family history of cancer. As part of a staggered rollout, the test will then be offered to the entire commissioned and civilian WFD workforce, which includes nearly 150 firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, technical operations specialists and others. 

The Galleri test is a first-of-its-kind MCED blood test. In a clinical study, the Galleri test demonstrated the ability to detect signals across more than 50 types of cancers, over 45 of which lack recommended screening tests today. Using advanced genomics and machine learning, the test also determines the origin of the cancer signal, which can then guide diagnostic workup. Early detection of cancer is known to improve cancer outcomes, yet today, the majority of cancers are detected in late stages because only five cancer types have recommended screenings – breast, cervical, colon, lung and prostate cancers.

“Because of their work-related exposure to smoke and other hazardous materials, it is essential to offer early detection cancer screenings to this at-risk population, who put their lives on the line every day for our community,” said Dr. Alisa Koval, WFD Health and Wellness Physician, who will support the program. “The WFD is committed to the safety and health of its workforce, and this early cancer detection blood test can easily be integrated into existing programs to enhance the health and well-being of our firefighters.”

Nationwide, firefighters experience a higher rate of multiple cancers than the general population. According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, cancer caused 66% of career line-of-duty deaths for U.S. firefighters between 2002 and 2019.

“As a population that has an occupational risk of developing cancer, firefighters need access to tools to improve early cancer detection,” said Jeffrey M. Venstrom, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer, GRAIL. “We are pleased to partner with WFD to help this at-risk community screen for cancer early, when treatment has a better chance of success than when cancer is diagnosed at later stages.”

About Westminster Fire Department

The Westminster Fire Department’s mission is to protect community interests through exemplary service. The department is comprised of 144 personnel, with 123 working field operations and 21 administrative staff. The fire department’s personnel serve from six, strategically located, multi-company fire stations and the Westminster Public Safety Center, serving a population of approximately 118,000. The city limits of Westminster span 34 square miles, located in the heart of the U.S. 36 corridor connecting Denver and Boulder on Colorado’s front range. Westminster Fire Department is an all-hazards agency and its primary functions include emergency medical services with advanced life support transport, fire suppression, emergency services, fire prevention, and public education. The Westminster Fire Department responds to over 14,000 emergency calls per year.

About GRAIL

GRAIL is a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. GRAIL is focused on alleviating the global burden of cancer by developing pioneering technology to detect and identify multiple deadly cancer types early. The company is using the power of next-generation sequencing, population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to enhance the scientific understanding of cancer biology, and to develop its multi-cancer early detection blood test. GRAIL is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. GRAIL, LLC, is a subsidiary of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) currently held separate from Illumina Inc. under the terms of the Interim Measures Order of the European Commission dated 29 October 2021.

For more information, please visit grail.com. 

About Galleri^®

The earlier that cancer is detected, the higher the chance of successful outcomes. The Galleri multi-cancer early detection test can detect cancer signals across more than 50 types of cancer, as defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, through a routine blood draw. When a cancer signal is detected, the Galleri test predicts the cancer signal origin, or where the cancer is located in the body, with high accuracy to help guide the next steps to diagnosis. The Galleri test requires a prescription from a licensed health care provider and should be used in addition to recommended cancer screenings such as mammography, colonoscopy, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, or cervical cancer screening. It is intended for use in people with an elevated risk of cancer, such as those aged 50 or older.

For more information about Galleri, visit galleri.com.  

Important Safety Information

The Galleri test is recommended for use in adults with an elevated risk for cancer, such as those aged 50 or older. The Galleri test does not detect all cancers and should be used in addition to routine cancer screening tests recommended by a healthcare provider. Galleri is intended to detect cancer signals and predict where in the body the cancer signal is located. Use of Galleri is not recommended in individuals who are pregnant, 21 years old or younger, or undergoing active cancer treatment.

Results should be interpreted by a healthcare provider in the context of medical history, clinical signs and symptoms. A test result of “Cancer Signal Not Detected” does not rule out cancer. A test result of “Cancer Signal Detected” requires confirmatory diagnostic evaluation by medically established procedures (e.g., imaging) to confirm cancer.

If cancer is not confirmed with further testing, it could mean that cancer is not present or testing was insufficient to detect cancer, including due to the cancer being located in a different part of the body. False-positive (a cancer signal detected when cancer is not present) and false-negative (a cancer signal not detected when cancer is present) test results do occur. Rx only.

Laboratory/Test Information

GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and accredited by the College of American Pathologists. The Galleri test was developed, and its performance characteristics were determined by GRAIL. The Galleri test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is regulated under CLIA to perform high-complexity testing. The Galleri test is intended for clinical purposes.