Typically, screening for colorectal cancers requires patients to collect stool samples for regular testing or undergo more invasive procedures like colonoscopies, barium enemas and sigmoidoscopies. Those largely undesirable options have resulted in screening rates well below the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s goal to see at least 80% of Americans ages 50 and older undergoing regular colorectal cancer screening.
Guardant Health is aiming to improve those stats. Its Lunar-2 liquid biopsy test is designed to catch colorectal cancer in its earliest stages and requires only a standard blood draw, offering a less invasive and time-consuming alternative to the current standards for screening.