New blood test may be able to detect colorectal cancer early, new study finds
New research from the National Cancer Institute says millennials born around 1990 now have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer as people born in the 1950s. A new blood test may be able to detect colorectal cancer early, according to a study by the National Cancer Institute. The test, developed by Guardant Health, can be done from a blood draw and could help more people regularly screen for the cancer. Currently, current guidelines suggest most people get their first colonoscopy at age 45. However, this new test could help catch the cancer sooner. The FDA is expected to approve the test later this year.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - It's the second leading cause of cancer deaths among adults, and the kind of cancer that killed Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
Health experts say cases of colorectal cancer are increasingly being detected in much younger patients.
The cancer can be treatable if it's caught early. But many adults don't follow recommended screening guidelines, often because they're anxious about getting a colonoscopy.
"I was in my early 30s. It wasn't like, 'Oh, let's do a colonoscopy. I'm sure you have colon cancer,'' Elizabeth Matlock-Buchanan of Memphis, said.
At 35 years old, Matlock-Buchanan never imagined her GI issues could be cancer.
But after months of failed therapies and misdiagnoses, her doctor ordered a colonoscopy.
"I was at stage 3C so almost stage 4, which means that stage 4, it spread to the other parts of your body," Matlock-Buchanan said.
New research from the National Cancer Institute says millennials born around 1990 now have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer as people born in the 1950s.
Current guidelines suggest most people get their first colonoscopy at age 45. But now, a new blood test may help catch the cancer sooner.
"It showed that about 83% of patients who had advanced cancer were found or picked up by this study," Dr. Paul Johnson, a colon and rectal surgeon at Methodist Cancer Institute, said.
The test, developed by Guardant Health, can be done from a blood draw.
While colonoscopy is still the most accurate screening, Dr. Johnson said this test may help bridge the gap and get more people to regularly screen for colon cancer.
"It's estimated that one in three americans are not up to date with their appropriate screening. So, if this blood test is the way to get somebody screened, whereas they would not have been, we're excited to have it," he said.
The FDA says it will consider approving the test later this year.
Meanwhile, doctors say it's important to keep up with recommended screenings, and reach out immediately if you notice any symptoms, including rectal bleeding, changes in your stool, or unexplained abdominal pain.
Topik: Data