• 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