FDA approves blood test to screen for colon cancer
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Guardant Health’s blood test, called Shield, to screen for colon cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Guardant Health’s blood test, called Shield, to screen for colon cancer. The test isn't meant to replace colonoscopies, but is generating enthusiasm among doctors who say it has the potential to boost the dismal rate of screenings for the second-highest cause of cancer death in the United States.
Shield has previously been available to doctors as a screening tool, at an out-of-pocket cost of $895. With the FDA approval, Medicare and private insurance companies are much more likely to cover the cost of the blood test, making it more widely accessible for patients.
Dr. Arvind Dasari, an associate professor in the department of gastrointestinal and medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, called the approval a “welcome development.”
But, he cautioned, “we’ll have to wait and see what the impact will be in terms of improving screening and reducing the incidence of mortality.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 53,000 people will die of colorectal cancer this year.
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