With colon cancer deaths rising among younger adults and millions of eligible Americans skipping their colonoscopies, Guardant Health is taking its Shield blood test on the road in hopes of tackling “dangerously low” screening rates.
The cancer diagnostics company March 4 announced “Shield Across America,” a cross-country tour that will bring its FDA-approved colorectal cancer screening test to more than 100 communities around the country.
Coinciding with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the tour features a bright blue mobile screening lab designed to boost awareness and eliminate barriers to timely screening, especially in rural areas.
“Shield Across America seeks to address a fundamental challenge in colorectal cancer screening in our country: access,” Guardant Health CEO AmirAli Talasaz said in a statement.
“By bringing screening directly to where Americans live, work and enjoy … we aim to encourage more people to get their lifesaving screening and close our nation’s screening gap.”
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the U.S., and the American Cancer Society earlier this year flagged it as the leading cancer killer in people under age 50. Deaths from the disease are rising even as overall cancer deaths have dropped dramatically in that age group.
Despite those statistics, 54 million Americans—1 in 3—avoid recommended colorectal cancer screenings because they find current options unpleasant or inconvenient, Guardant said, citing a 2024 JAMA Network study.
The company argues its blood-based approach could help address that reluctance.
The test won FDA approval in 2024 for adults 45 and older who are at average risk of cancer, giving patients a noninvasive alternative along with at-home stool tests like Exact Sciences’ Cologuard. Both tests require a full colonoscopy if results are abnormal.
Guardant’s mobile screening lab will make stops at sporting events, senior centers and other venues from Las Vegas and Atlanta to Hartford, Connecticut, the company said.
