In an article published in The New York Times, experts expressed hope that a novel blood test could boost early colorectal cancer detection and decrease mortality rates by up to 73%. Approximately 53,000 U.S. patients are predicted to die from colorectal cancer in 2024. Over the last few decades, colorectal cancer mortality has increased among patients younger than age 55, prompting updated guidelines recommending that screening for the disease begin at age 45. Current screening methods for average-risk patients—which include colonoscopy every 10 years or fecal tests every 1 to 3 years—have proven effective at detecting colorectal cancer early. However, these methods may be off-putting, causing a large proportion of these patients to delay or forgo the necessary procedures and leading to more advanced colorectal cancer diagnoses. The experts revealed that a novel blood test could simplify colorectal cancer screening and may soon become incorporated in routine bloodwork performed as part of annual physical exams. The blood test works by detecting ctDNA from colorectal cancer as well as large polyps, and has already demonstrated positive findings in recent trials. Researchers found that the blood test could detect 87% of colorectal cancers at their earliest stages and had a 10% false-positive rate. Conversely, the blood test performed poorly in detecting large polyps, finding only 13% of them compared with 43% for fecal tests and 94% for colonoscopy. Therefore, patients who opt for the blood test should be informed that this method may only be effective at early cancer detection and not cancer prevention. Further, those who test positive on the blood test will require colonoscopy to remove the early-stage tumors or polyps. The experts also voiced concern over the cost and accessibility of the blood test. Although its manufacturer, Guardant Health, has applied for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, the test is currently laboratory-based, comes with a price tag of $895, and is not covered by insurance. The company stated that it was planning to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private insurers to reduce costs. The experts underscored that despite the limitations of the novel blood test, it may convince more patients to undergo screening, thus potentially reducing the burden of colorectal cancer among younger patients. “The best screening test is the one that gets completed by the patient,” wrote John M. Carethers, MD, Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and a gastroenterologist at the University of California, San Diego, in a recent editorial.