A blood test for colon cancer by Guardant Health, called Shield, performed well in a study, catching 83% of cancers but missing precancerous growths. The test costs $895 and is not yet FDA-approved. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for screening, but some avoid it due to inconvenience. Guardant recommends testing every three years. The study involved 7,861 participants and had false alarms in 10% of cases. More options like blood tests and stool tests may lead to higher screening rates and fewer cancer deaths. Further research is needed to determine the accuracy of the blood test for other cancers.
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A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening
