Gostout talks Exact Sciences, Mayo Clinic work on liver cancer screening

Mayo Clinic Vice President Dr. Bobbie Gostout said that her organization and Madison-based Exact Sciences are “rewriting the story of early diagnosis for cancer,” at a Wisconsin Health News event Tuesday.

The two healthcare organizations announced last week that they’re making progress on developing a blood test for liver cancer.

“This is a really big deal,” said Gostout, who’s the leader of Mayo Clinic Health System.

The next step for the test is a phase two trial, which will include an expanded group of patients.

Gostout said the two healthcare organizations “have their eye” on about 16 cancers that they think they can tackle for early diagnosis through either stool or blood tests.

“I think we’re now at a point where things can start moving faster and I hope we get to 16 cancers within the next 10 years,” she said.