Blood test to detect colon cancer progresses

A blood test to screen for colon and rectal cancers could soon become more broadly available, potentially eliminating the need for colonoscopies. 

Guardant Health, a California-based biotechnology company, applied for approval from the Food and Drug Administration of a blood test to screen for early signs of colorectal cancer, called Shield. The FDA's Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, a panel of expert advisors, gathered to discuss data on the screening test. The panel examined the benefits and risks of the tests and voted on whether it's safe and effective. 

The panel voted 8-1 that the Shield test is safe for use in people who meet the criteria for testing, 6-3 that the test is effective for use in those meeting the criteria and 7-2 that the benefits of the test outweigh the risks. 

Read more: CNN

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