Blood Tests Now Recommended for Colon Cancer Screening

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]With colorectal cancer on the rise in younger adults, there is now new options to test for it besides colonoscopies.

[00:00:08]The American Cancer Society released an updated guideline yesterday recommending blood tests to screen for colorectal cancer in adults 45 or older who are unable or unwilling to get a colonoscopy. Colonoscopies are still considered the gold standard. The new guideline also recommends additional stool tests which are collected at home and sent to a lab. The tests can detect molecular markers associated with colorectal cancer. Screening can dramatically improve survival if a cancer is diagnosed before symptoms begin because treatment can start early.

[00:00:44]When cancer is found at a more advanced stage, it may have spread into other parts of the body.