New Guardant Health/Harris Poll Survey Highlights Patient Fear and Anxiety as Major Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening, but Blood Test Option Offers Hope for Change (Guardant Health)

Key Findings from the “Closing the Gap: CRC Screening Insights” Survey

• 93% of primary care providers believe patients are less likely to avoid screening if an FDA-approved blood test is offered.
• Fear and anxiety about traditional CRC screening methods have increased, with 29% of patients now citing it as a major barrier.
• 82% of gastroenterologists say fear and anxiety deter screening, up from 67% in 2024.
• 1 in 4 Americans feel that colonoscopies and stool tests do not make screening easy (24% vs. 18% last year).