March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and medical professionals say a new blood test could be a game-changer in diagnosing the disease.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The CDC predicts the United States will lose more than 53,000 people to the disease in 2024.
Despite a steady rise in colorectal cancer rates over the past two decades, a new survey from Guardant Health revealed many are putting off cancer screenings.
“Colon Cancer screening saves lives," Victoria Raymond, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Guardant Health and a former lead genetic counselor at the University of Michigan said. "If people are diagnosed early, 91% diagnosed with stage 1 are alive 5 years after diagnosis, if unfortunately we catch cancer too late that number drops to 14%. Nearly one in three Americans are not getting with the current available options. That’s 50 million people."
Raymond and her team are eager to release a new blood test that could usher more people in the door for screenings and ultimately diagnose colorectal cancer.
“The majority of Americans were saying things like the current available screening options are unpleasant or they’re worried about being uncomfortable or painful," she explained. "So we asked them what would that look like if we had a blood-based colorectal screening option. 90% of Americans said they would complete screenings if blood tests were an option, and providers agreed.”
Raymond is working on FDA approval for the test, and says she’s hopeful to have the blood test as a screening option this year.
