MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The gold standard colonoscopy is still the preferred method for finding colon cancer, but on this World Cancer Day, we're hearing more about a simple blood test that could get more people to agree to be screen and saved as a result.
The Shield Blood Test received FDA approval in 2024. It's available for patients ages 45 and up, and it's seen as a good first step for patients who may be apprehensive about getting a colonoscopy, or where colonoscopy isn't readily available.
The blood test is about 85% accurate in detecting cancer, but 90% accurate in ruling it out. The hope is that this will encourage more people to get screened.
"The tide that we're worried about which is many of these younger patients being diagnosed with late stage disease. And how can we impact that -- and more importantly how can we diagnose more people early on," said Dr. Ajaz Khan, chief of oncology, City of Hope Cancer Center:
Last year, Wisconsin lost 360 people to colon cancer, but 2,600 new cases were diagnosed. The five-year survival rate for stage one colon cancer is 95% versus stage four colon cancer which is just 13%.