Study: Colorectal Cancer Blood Test Could Be Approved In 2024

(CTN News) – According to the latest study, a blood test for colorectal cancer may become available this year.

This week, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine discovered that a blood test called Shield from Guardant Health was highly effective in detecting colorectal cancer. However, this procedure would not replace a colonoscopy.

Seventeen thousand eight hundred and sixty-one participants from the United States were included in the study. As part of the treatment, they underwent a colonoscopy, which is a surgical procedure in which a camera is used to examine the large intestine and rectum, as well as blood testing.

Blood tests detect approximately 83% of colonoscopy cancers. Most cancers, however, are not diagnosed by blood tests. Nevertheless, 10% of individuals whose colonoscopy results did not reveal colon cancer had their blood tests misdiagnosed as cancerous.

In the United States, the Shield blood test is available for $895, the Associated Press reported. However, most insurance plans do not cover the test cost.

Guardant Health anticipates that a decision will be made on the product later this year, though the FDA has not yet approved it.

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This blood test will be administered every three years, starting at 45, if approved by the FDA.

In accordance with the outlet, people with symptoms of colon cancer as well as risk factors – including a family history of the disease – would still require a colonoscopy.

As the Mayo Clinic notes, colorectal cancer typically occurs in older adults and is caused by small clusters of cells called polyps that develop in the colon.

Polyps are not generally cancerous, but they can eventually turn into cancer, according to the organization. Polyps do not cause symptoms, which is why it is important to conduct regular screening tests to find and remove them.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the third worldwide, according to Cancer.org.

Screening for colorectal cancer should begin at a young age of 45, according to the American Cancer Society. In spite of this, fewer than 60% of people who are eligible for this program are up-to-date on their exams.

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