Multi-cancer early detection approaches merge emerging biological and information technologies—including next-generation gene sequencing, artificial intelligence, and big data—in a revolutionary new approach to cancer detection.

MCED can detect signals for dozens of different types of cancers with a very high rate of accuracy, a low false-positive rate, and the ability to trace the detected cancer to its likely tissue of origin with a high degree of confidence.

MCED holds the potential, over time, to transform America’s cancer-detection paradigm from one in which most cancers are detected when patients present symptomatically to one in which they can be screen-detected in advance.

If U.S. enterprises are to lead in this fast-emerging, intensely globally competitive technology field—and if citizens are to enjoy the benefits—then policymakers will need to get the regulatory and coverage environment right.

Congress should pass the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to use an evidence-based process to cover blood-based MCED tests.