Is there a blood test that screens for cancer in Singapore?

78% of cancer deaths occurred in cases where cancer had not been screened for

How blood-based cancer tests help you

Early Detection

Detects early cancer signals before symptoms onset for more treatment options and a better chance of long-term survival.

Accurate

Identifies mutation and signal localization through technology, with high accuracy.

Convenient

Requires only blood draw and is non-fasting.

Comprehensive

Evaluates the signal of up to 50 types of cancer.

Blood-based cancer tests

Multicancer early detection tests (MCED)

How it works

This blood test looks for abnormal DNA fragments in the blood that are associated with cancer. These fragments (also known as circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA) are released from cancer cells into the bloodstream, making it possible to detect many different types of cancer with a single blood test.

Tests available

The DNA fragment detection tests currently available are:

GASTROClear, which detects gastric cancer.
LucenceINSIGHT. The standard LucenceINSIGHT test checks for 12 different types of cancer: Nasopharyngeal cancer, Breast cancer, Small cell lung cancer, Non-small cell lung cancer, Lung Neuroendocrine Tumor, Liver cancer, Biliary tract cancer, Cervical cancer, Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), Pancreatic cancer, Colorectal cancer, and Prostate cancer.
LucenceINSIGHT PLUS covers up to 50 cancer types, including all the different types covered by the standard LucenceINSIGHT test. Learn more about the difference between LucenceINSIGHT and LucenceINSIGHT PLUS.

Accuracy

Lucence INSIGHT screens for the risk of cancer with a sensitivity of 80.9%, which means that it has an 80.9% chance to correctly detect cases of the particular disease in question. It also has a specificity of 99%, which means that it can correctly identify when a person being tested does not have the disease 99% of the time.

Meanwhile, GASTROClear detects all stages of gastric cancer (stages 1–4) with close to 90% sensitivity.

Tumor Markers

How it works

Cancer cells often make specific proteins or other substances at higher rates than healthy cells do. These substances can be detected in the blood, and are known as tumor markers. Tumor marker tests check to see if you have these substances in present your body and in what amounts. Examples of tumor marker tests include CA 19-9, CA 125, CA 15-3, PSA, CEA and AFP.

Accuracy

Unfortunately, research on screening with tumour markers has found that these tests miss many cases of cancer, so they may not always be useful as screening tests

Learn more

Get tested, for your benefit

Understand your risks, for your benefit — book a consultation with our specialist doctor to better understand your risks, and discuss which tests are appropriate for you.

You can also add on a fully personalized health and cancer screening during the consult with your doctor. Our customizable health screening packages allow you to screen for conditions relevant to you, including LucenceINSIGHT, LucenceINSIGHT PLUS, Cancer Marker Test or other tests.