MULTI-CANCER EARLY DETECTION
The Cancerguard™ test is a single blood draw that can help detect signals associated with more than 50 cancer types and subtypes, including many cancers that have no routine screening. It adds to the screening you already do. It never replaces it.
FORMAT
One blood draw
RESULTS
In about 3 weeks
ORDERED BY
Your physician
LOCATION
Yorkville, Toronto
THE GAP
Mammography, Pap and HPV testing, colon screening and, for people at high risk, low-dose lung CT. Each one matters. Together they still leave most of the cancer burden in Canada without a screening program, and those cancers are more likely to be found late, when treatment options are usually more limited.
2 in 5
Canadians are expected to develop cancer in their lifetime.
60%+
of annual cancer cases and deaths in Canada have no recommended screening program.
4
cancers have guideline-recommended screening: breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung for people at high risk.
THE TEST
01
Curated circulating tumour DNA markers that help distinguish a cancer signal from a normal one.
02
A second, independent biological signal, read alongside the DNA.
TOGETHER
Combining the two helps detect a broader range of cancer types across stages, often before symptoms appear.
THE EVIDENCE
What a stratified case-control test development study showed.*
68%
Sensitivity across six high-mortality cancers: esophageal, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach
64%
Overall sensitivity in the intended population, excluding breast and prostate
97.4%
Specificity, balanced to reduce false positives
>1/3
of Stage I or II cancers detected
SENSITIVITY BY CANCER TYPE
71.4% to 80.0% for ovarian, stomach, pancreatic and liver cancers.
* Performance data were generated from a stratified case-control test development study of patients 50 to 84 who were already known to have cancer or to be healthy (no active cancer or suspicion of cancer). They may not accurately reflect the test’s performance in a clinical setting, and real-world sensitivity and specificity may differ from case-control data. Overall and high-mortality figures exclude breast and prostate. The chart shows organ systems detected at n>2, with the number of cancer cases in brackets. † Not indicated for breast or prostate cancer screening, though the test may detect signals of these cancers. The performance characteristics for additional cancer types that may be detected are unknown. False positive and false negative results can occur.
HOW IT WORKS HERE
Cancerguard is prescription only. At Bespoke it is never a requisition and a result in your inbox. It begins with a conversation and ends with a plan.
01
Ten to fifteen minutes to see whether the test is right for you, given your history and the screening you already have.
02
Drawn at our Yorkville clinic, handled by our own team, and sent to the Exact Sciences laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin.
03
Dr. Chin reviews your result with you, in the context of your history, and sets out what comes next.
04
A cancer signal moves into a defined diagnostic workup. No signal means your recommended screening continues, on schedule.
READING THE RESULT
The test did not find signals of cancer in your blood at this time. It does not rule cancer out completely, and false negative results can occur. You continue all the routine cancer screening your physician recommends.
The test found a signal of cancer in your blood. It does not mean you have cancer. It means further evaluation is needed, which may include blood work and imaging such as a CT scan, to locate and confirm a cancer or determine that none is present. False positive results can occur.
Care Navigation is included through a dedicated partner for anyone who receives a positive result: support to reduce barriers to follow-up care, help identifying imaging locations, and scheduling of follow-up appointments. Dr. Chin and her team coordinate alongside it, as they would for any serious finding.
ALONGSIDE, NEVER INSTEAD
The test does not detect signals associated with all cancers. It is not indicated for breast or prostate cancer and was not evaluated for pre-cancerous lesions, which is why the screening you already do stays exactly where it is.
KEEP THESE ON SCHEDULE, AS RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Mammography
Colon screening
Pap and HPV testing
Low-dose lung CT, where indicated
A PSA discussion with your physician
WHERE IT FITS
01
Risk
Genetics, family history
02
Baseline
Comprehensive lab work
03
Screening
Guideline screening and imaging
04
Early detection
Where Cancerguard sits
05
Your plan
Acting on what we find
“Cancer runs through my family. I came into this field to do everything I could to stay ahead of it, and I live my own protocol: genetics, whole body MRI, regular testing. Cancerguard is one more tool in that work. It does not replace a single screening I already do.”
DR. ELAINE CHIN, MD, MBA
At Bespoke, Cancerguard is part of the early detection step of our annual program. You do not need to be enrolled in the program to have the test.
See the Bespoke annual programCANCERGUARD
No. A positive result means the test identified a cancer signal that may indicate the presence of cancer. The result alone does not confirm it. Further clinical evaluation and imaging are needed to locate and confirm a diagnosis, or to determine that cancer is not present.
No. It is designed to be used alongside guideline-recommended screening, not to replace it. Your recommended screening should continue as before.
It is intended for adults aged 50 to 84 with no known cancer diagnosis in the last three years. Whether it is right for you is a decision you and Dr. Chin make together, which is what the first conversation is for.
The test is not recommended for people who have had cancer within the past three years, or for women who are, may be, or plan to become pregnant. Because a positive result may lead to a CT scan with IV contrast, it also calls for careful consideration if you have had a reaction to iodine-based contrast.
About three weeks from your blood draw. Dr. Chin reviews every result with you directly.
No. You can have the test without enrolling in our annual program. Everyone begins with the same short conversation.
At Exact Sciences Laboratories in Madison, Wisconsin, which is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), certified under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations, and qualified to perform high-complexity clinical laboratory testing.
Ten to fifteen minutes to see whether Cancerguard belongs in your plan.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CANCERGUARD™ TEST
Rx only. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if this test is right for you.
The Cancerguard™ test is intended for use in adults ages 50 to 84 with no known cancer diagnosis in the last three years. It detects alterations in circulating tumour DNA and tumour-associated protein levels which are commonly associated with cancer. The test does not detect signals associated with all cancers and is not a replacement for existing recommended cancer screening or diagnostic modalities for cancer. Current recommended screening for cancer should also be followed. The test is not indicated for detecting signals associated with breast and prostate cancer and was not evaluated for the detection of pre-cancerous lesions. Due to the potential for follow-up imaging with intravenous (IV) contrast computed tomography (CT) after a positive test result, careful consideration should be given before ordering the Cancerguard test for patients with a history of adverse reactions to iodine based IV contrast or for women who are, may be, or plan to become pregnant.
Results should be interpreted in the context of the patient’s medical history, clinical signs, and symptoms. A negative result does not rule out the presence of cancer of any type. A positive Cancerguard test result means that the blood test identified a cancer signal that may indicate the presence of cancer. This result alone does not confirm the presence of cancer. Further clinical evaluation by a healthcare provider (which may include blood tests such as complete blood count and comprehensive metabolic panel) and follow-up imaging are needed to locate and confirm a diagnosis of cancer or determine that cancer is not present. While there are no established guidelines for imaging following a positive Cancerguard test result, there is a published follow-up workflow based on expert clinician opinion and results from an exploratory, prospective, interventional study [Kisiel et al Life (Basel) 2024 Jul 24; Lennon et al, Science, 2020]. The proposed workflow in the Kisiel et al publication includes an IV-contrast enhanced CT (IV contrast CT of chest, abdomen/pelvis, and soft-tissue neck) and if necessary, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F FDG PET-CT) from the skull-base to mid-thigh. Alternative follow-up procedures (e.g., targeted imaging, endoscopic procedures, CT without IV-contrast) may be appropriate in the context of the patient’s medical history and clinical evaluation [Lennon et al, Science, 2020]. False positive and false negative test results can occur.
The Cancerguard test was developed, and the performance characteristics validated by Exact Sciences Laboratories following College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations. The test is performed at Exact Sciences Laboratories, Madison, WI, USA. Exact Sciences Laboratories is accredited by CAP, certified under CLIA regulations, and qualified to perform high-complexity clinical laboratory testing.
The Cancerguard test is developed by Exact Sciences, now part of Abbott. It was developed based on the ASCEND-2 and DETECT-A studies, involving more than 20,000 patients in the United States. A prospective real-world evidence study is underway.
Exact Sciences and Cancerguard are trademarks of Exact Sciences Corporation. Statistics and performance data on this page are drawn from Exact Sciences Canada materials, which cite Canadian Cancer Statistics 2025, Government of Canada cancer screening guidance, and the Cancerguard test development study. This page is for education and is not a substitute for medical advice.