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If you are researching private cancer screening in the UK, you have almost certainly come across the TruCheck blood test. It is one of a small number of privately available multi-cancer screening tests currently offered in Britain, and interest in it has grown alongside broader awareness of proactive health monitoring.
This guide covers what a TruCheck blood test actually does, who it is designed for, what it costs in the UK, how the booking process works, and — importantly — what it will and will not tell you about your health. It is written for people who are still deciding whether the test is right for them, not people who have already decided to book.
Quick answer. TruCheck Intelli is a private blood-based multi-cancer screening test developed by Datar Cancer Genetics. It looks for signals associated with over 70 solid tumour types from a single 25ml venous blood sample. At Swift Blood Tests, TruCheck currently costs £1,200, with results returned within 12 to 15 working days. Booking is available as a clinic visit, an Essex home visit, or a home kit posted to your door. See the current TruCheck Intelli test details.
A TruCheck blood test — full name TruCheck Intelli — is a private multi-cancer screening test based on a technology called circulating tumour cell (CTC) detection. It has been developed by Datar Cancer Genetics, and it is offered in the UK through selected private providers, including Swift Blood Tests.
The underlying idea is straightforward. Solid tumours shed cells into the bloodstream at very low concentrations, well before symptoms typically appear. TruCheck Intelli is designed to isolate and analyse those cells from a standard venous blood sample. Where cells are detected, the laboratory analysis attempts to indicate the likely tissue of origin, which can help guide any follow-up investigations that a clinician recommends.
It is important to understand what this means in practice. TruCheck is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. It is designed to flag whether further clinical investigation is warranted. It does not, on its own, confirm or rule out cancer. That distinction runs through everything else on this page and is the single most important thing to understand before you consider booking.
| Test name | TruCheck Intelli multi-cancer screening blood test |
| Developer | Datar Cancer Genetics |
| Type | Private multi-cancer screening (not diagnostic) |
| Sample | 25ml venous blood |
| Screens for | Signals associated with over 70 solid tumour types |
| Turnaround | 12 to 15 working days |
| Price at Swift Blood Tests | £1,200 |
TruCheck Intelli is designed to detect signals associated with a broad range of solid tumour cancers — that is, cancers that form a mass in a specific organ or tissue. Publicly available Datar Cancer Genetics documentation describes the test as covering over 70 solid tumour types across the major organ systems.
The categories commonly included are:
TruCheck is designed for solid tumours only. It is not intended to detect:
If you have a specific personal or family cancer concern in one of these categories, TruCheck is unlikely to be the right test on its own. Speak to your GP so the appropriate diagnostic pathway can be arranged.
The full process from booking to receiving your report takes around two and a half to three weeks. Here is what happens at each stage.
See the current price, booking options and full test details on the Swift Blood Tests service page.
View TruCheck Multi Cancer ScreeningPrivate multi-cancer screening tests are generally aimed at asymptomatic adults who want to add proactive monitoring to their regular health routine. TruCheck is commonly considered by:
TruCheck is generally not the right pathway if:
At Swift Blood Tests, the current listed price for TruCheck Intelli multi-cancer screening is £1,200. This is a single transparent price with no separate laboratory or courier fees added at the point of booking.
The £1,200 fee covers the full pathway rather than the blood draw alone. Specifically, it includes:
Private cancer screening pricing in the UK sits within a broad range, and different providers include different things in their headline price. Because pricing and availability can change over time, we recommend confirming the current figure and what is included on the TruCheck Intelli service page before you book.
Swift Blood Tests currently quotes a turnaround of 12 to 15 working days from the point your sample is collected to when your written report is issued. That is roughly two and a half to three calendar weeks.
The written report is comprehensive rather than a simple positive-or-negative summary. Where circulating tumour cells are identified, the report also indicates the likely tissue of origin so that any onward investigations your clinician recommends can be appropriately targeted.
TruCheck Intelli is not available on the NHS. It is offered through a small number of private providers in the UK, including Swift Blood Tests. Because access is limited compared with more established private tests, most people find it easier to book directly with a provider that already offers TruCheck as a defined service, rather than approach a general private GP and ask for it to be arranged.
Swift Blood Tests is based in Basildon, Essex, and offers TruCheck across three different collection routes so that most people in the UK can access the test in a way that suits them.
There are three ways to have your TruCheck sample taken through Swift Blood Tests. All three go through the same laboratory pathway, and all three carry the same £1,200 price.
| Option | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Clinic visit | Attend a Swift Blood Tests clinic appointment for your blood draw. A trained phlebotomist takes your 25ml venous sample, and the sample is dispatched to the laboratory the same day where possible. |
| Home visit (Essex) | A nurse-led home visit for your blood draw, currently available for the TruCheck service within Essex. Convenient if you would prefer to have the sample taken at home rather than travel to a clinic. |
| Home kit via post | A collection kit is sent to you, so you can arrange your sample collection at a time and location that suits you. Useful for people outside the home-visit area who still want the convenience of not travelling to a clinic. |
You can compare all three options and check current availability on the TruCheck Multi Cancer Screening service page, or call the team on 01277 652067 if you would rather talk through which option fits your circumstances best before booking.
Once your 25ml venous sample has been collected — whether at a clinic, at home in Essex, or via the home kit — Swift Blood Tests packages it under temperature-controlled conditions and dispatches it to the Datar Cancer Genetics laboratory. The lab performs the TruCheck Intelli analysis, and Swift Blood Tests issues your written report within 12 to 15 working days.
Your report will indicate one of two broad outcomes:
This is reassuring, but it is not an absolute guarantee that no cancer is present. Not every cancer sheds detectable circulating tumour cells, and test performance varies by cancer type and stage. You should continue to attend NHS screening invitations you are eligible for, stay alert to any new symptoms, and consider repeat screening on a schedule that suits your personal risk.
This is not a diagnosis of cancer. It means that further clinical investigation is recommended. The Swift Blood Tests team will help you take the report to your GP or a specialist so that appropriate follow-up — for example imaging or a biopsy — can be arranged. The tissue-of-origin indication on the report is designed to help those onward investigations be targeted rather than exploratory.
TruCheck is designed to sit alongside NHS cancer screening, not replace it. The two serve different purposes.
The NHS runs population-level screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer, plus targeted lung health checks for some higher-risk groups. These programmes are backed by decades of evidence, are free at the point of use, and are the primary route to catching those specific cancers early. If you are invited to NHS screening, you should attend, regardless of whether you also choose a private multi-cancer test.
TruCheck adds something different. It broadens the range of cancer types you are screening for in one sitting — well beyond the three the NHS routinely screens for — and it is available on demand rather than on an invitation schedule. That is what people are typically paying for when they choose a multi-cancer test privately: broader coverage and greater control over timing, on top of the NHS programmes rather than instead of them.
It is also fair to say that multi-cancer early detection tests as a category are still a developing area of medicine. Questions remain — among researchers as well as cancer charities — about how they should best be used at a population level, and what their long-term impact on cancer outcomes will be. If you are weighing the test up, going in with a clear understanding of that context is helpful.
No screening test is 100% accurate, and being transparent about the trade-offs is important. Here are the limitations you should factor into your decision.
| Limitation | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Not a diagnostic test | TruCheck flags cell-level signals that warrant further investigation. It cannot, on its own, confirm or rule out cancer. |
| False positives are possible | Some people receive a positive result even though no cancer is present. This can lead to further tests and short-term anxiety. |
| False negatives are possible | Some cancers may not be picked up by the test, even at the time of sampling. |
| Not every cancer is included | The test targets solid tumours. It is not designed to detect blood cancers, brain tumours or every rare cancer. |
| Does not replace NHS screening | TruCheck is an addition to — not a substitute for — NHS breast, bowel and cervical screening. |
| Not for symptomatic people | If you have symptoms that could suggest cancer, a private screening test is the wrong pathway. Please see your GP. |
| Evidence is still evolving | The long-term impact of multi-cancer blood tests on cancer outcomes at a population level is still being studied in the UK. |
None of this means TruCheck is not worth considering. It means that going in with realistic expectations — and a plan for what you will do with either outcome — is part of using the test well.
Swift Blood Tests is an established private blood-testing service based in Basildon, Essex, with a 4.9/5 average from 131+ verified Google reviews across the wider service. For people considering TruCheck specifically, a few practical points are worth knowing.
View the TruCheck Multi Cancer Screening service and current booking options with Swift Blood Tests.
See TruCheck service detailsBooking a TruCheck Intelli test with Swift Blood Tests is a five-step process.
If you would prefer to speak to someone before you book, call 01277 652067 or email enquiries@swiftbloodtests.co.uk.
The current listed price for TruCheck Intelli at Swift Blood Tests is £1,200. This covers the blood draw (at a clinic, by Essex home visit, or via a home kit), temperature-controlled sample transport, the TruCheck Intelli laboratory analysis, and your full written report. Because pricing can change, we recommend checking the current figure on the TruCheck Intelli service page before booking.
TruCheck Intelli is available through a small number of private providers in the UK, including Swift Blood Tests, which offers the test as a clinic visit, an Essex home visit, or a home kit via post. You can view options and book directly from the TruCheck service page.
Booking is done online. Visit the TruCheck service page, choose your collection method (clinic, home visit or home kit), select your preferred date, and complete the booking. Payment is taken at the point of booking. If you would prefer to speak to someone first, call 01277 652067.
Swift Blood Tests currently issues the full written report within 12 to 15 working days of your sample being collected — around two and a half to three calendar weeks.
TruCheck Intelli screens for signals associated with over 70 solid tumour types, including breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, ovarian, head and neck, thyroid, melanoma, gastric, renal, bladder, cervical, uterine and oesophageal cancers, among others. It does not screen for blood cancers, primary brain tumours or some rare cancer types.
No. TruCheck is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. A result suggesting further investigation is needed is not a cancer diagnosis — it indicates that follow-up clinical assessment, such as imaging or biopsy, is recommended.
TruCheck is designed for asymptomatic adults, generally aged 40 and over, who want proactive multi-cancer screening. It is not suitable for people currently experiencing symptoms that could be caused by cancer (who should see their GP), people with an active cancer diagnosis or in cancer treatment, or pregnant women without prior clinical discussion.
Yes. Swift Blood Tests offers two at-home options for TruCheck: a nurse-led home visit within Essex, or a home kit posted to you so you can arrange your sample collection at a location that suits you. You can compare all three options — including the clinic visit — on the TruCheck service page.
No. TruCheck is an addition to — not a substitute for — NHS breast, bowel and cervical screening. If you are invited to NHS screening you should continue to attend, regardless of whether you also choose a private multi-cancer test.
A positive result is not a diagnosis of cancer — it indicates that further clinical investigation is recommended. The Swift Blood Tests team will help you take your report to your GP or a specialist so that appropriate follow-up, such as imaging or a biopsy, can be arranged. The tissue-of-origin indication on the report is designed to help make those onward investigations more targeted.
View the current price, available booking options and full test details on the Swift Blood Tests service page.
Book TruCheck with Swift Blood Tests