Blood tests for colorectal cancer available in Austin
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Austin patients are among the first in the country to have access to a new blood test capable of screening for colorectal cancer.
Why it matters: Officials of California-based Guardant Health say their blood test will be a "game changer" in colorectal screenings, making the cancer easier to test and catch.
- Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cause of U.S. cancer deaths, and more than 1 in 3 eligible Americans don't complete screenings such as a colonoscopy or stool test.
What they're saying: "There's been screening for decades and it's still the second-leading cause of cancer death," Craig Eagle, Guardant Health's chief medical officer, told Axios.
- "Most people getting colorectal cancer and dying from it actually don't get screened, or they're not up to date with it. When you look at current choices — colonoscopy or some sort of stool testing — that's probably part of the barrier."
Catch up quick: In July, the FDA approved Guardant's blood test, which detects colorectal cancer in people age 45 and older. It's one of two FDA-approved blood-based tests for colorectal screening, per the American Cancer Society, and it's been rolled out in Austin since the FDA approval.
- The test has been approved for Medicare recipients — most insurance providers do not yet cover it — and Guardant Health is also rolling out the blood tests to clinics in the Dallas area.
How it works: The test screens for DNA that tumors shed in the bloodstream.
- In a study of nearly 8,000 people, the test detected colorectal cancers in more than 83% of the participants found to have colorectal cancer on a colonoscopy.
- But its sensitivity for detecting precancerous growths in the colon was much lower, at 13%.
- The American Cancer Society recommends that any abnormal test result be followed up with a colonoscopy.
Between the lines: Experts, including members of an FDA advisory panel, acknowledge that Shield is a convenient screening tool but not as accurate as a colonoscopy.
- "Having a simple blood test for colorectal cancer that could be added to a routine medical visit is a major step toward closing the screening gap," Asad Umar, a program officer in the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Prevention, said in an October statement.
- "But there are still important questions about how this test will perform among other available options."
Zoom in: Antoine Nguyen Pham with Thrive Medical Clinic in Leander told Axios he's used the Shield screening on roughly 10 Medicare recipients at his practice.
- At least two of the tests came back positive, which leads to a diagnostic screening with a colonoscopy.
The bottom line: "The gold standard is always going to be a colonoscopy because it's more sensitive, it's more specific and they can remove precancerous polyps," Pham said.
- "But this is another tool in your tool belt for those who are hesitant about getting a procedure done."