Multi-cancer early detection in practice: When (and how) health systems move on MCED
Most cancers still surface only after symptoms appear, often too late. Multi-cancer early detection promises to change that, and with a Medicare coverage pathway now established and employer and consumer demand rising, the executive conversation has shifted from whether MCED matters to how to get ready.
Becker's and Exact Sciences, now Abbott, convened a closed-door advisory call with senior leaders from leading cancer programs — CMOs, COOs, oncology, strategy, finance and nursing executives — for a candid discussion on when and how health systems will move.
Their consensus was pointed: the hard part isn't ordering the test. It's managing everything a positive result sets in motion — imaging, referrals, navigation and follow-up — without straining scarce oncology teams or exposing patients to avoidable harm.
This whitepaper distills where the group landed and what to prepare now.
Learnings include:
Becker's and Exact Sciences, now Abbott, convened a closed-door advisory call with senior leaders from leading cancer programs — CMOs, COOs, oncology, strategy, finance and nursing executives — for a candid discussion on when and how health systems will move.
Their consensus was pointed: the hard part isn't ordering the test. It's managing everything a positive result sets in motion — imaging, referrals, navigation and follow-up — without straining scarce oncology teams or exposing patients to avoidable harm.
This whitepaper distills where the group landed and what to prepare now.
Learnings include:
- Why readiness starts downstream, and how to build the diagnostic cascade before scaling
- Protocols that de-risk rollout: who gets tested, who manages results, where positives go
- How to design for equity from day one, including community-based access
- What to monitor in 2026-2027 as trial readouts and CMS rules shape adoption
This whitepaper is sponsored by Exact Sciences, now Abbott.
Please fill out the form to download the whitepaper.