Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, a 7-time Major champion and 3-time American Solheim Cup captain, has enjoyed remarkable success in her golfing career. Yet, her current focus is on saving lives through promoting the Galleri test, which detects potential cancer cells by analysing DNA in the blood.
Only five cancers have recommended screenings, leaving nearly 70% of cancer deaths caused by cancers without recommended screenings, including esophageal cancer, which tragically took Inkster’s father's life just over two years ago.
Teaming up with GRAIL, the makers of the Galleri test and sponsor of last month’s Galleri Classic, a PGA Tour Champions tournament, Inkster aims to raise awareness about early cancer detection. Impressively, most players and caddies were willing to undergo the test.
Following the Galleri Classic, Inkster shared a poignant story with Golf Monthly about her friend, who believes that the test has saved his life.
“My best friend who’s 78 went in for routine blood tests and everything came back great. The test is recommended for people over 50 or if there is a family history of cancer, and while there was no cancer in his background, his doctor recommended him taking the test. The result showed fragments of cancer in his thumbprint and after meeting with an oncologist, it turns out that he has throat cancer.
“He’s in his fourth week of radiation and it’s almost killing him, but he’s stage 2 and there’s a 95% chance that he will be cured. That’s when it really hit home. To me, this test is a game changer, if you can get ahead of the ball game. You know you’ve still got to go through hell to get there, but if you can get it at stage 2 or 3, you have a much better shot than when it gets to stage 4.”
Inkster has taken the test twice, and although it's still in its early stages, it's slowing gaining momentum. Inkster believes that if the US healthcare system embraces the test, the potential long-term cost savings could be immense. Depending on the healthcare provider, the test, available only by prescription, costs around $949. In the UK, it's undergoing final phases of an NHS trial, with results expected no earlier than 2026.
It's amazing, cancer screening is entering a new era, and Inkster marvels at the innovation. “I don’t know how these smart people come up with something like that. I mean, I can chip and I can putt…,” she said. Undoubtedly, these ‘smart’ people would admire Inkster’s incredible achievements on the golf course!
