March is US Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month, shining a spotlight on a disease that affects millions worldwide. Throughout this dedicated month, individuals, healthcare professionals and organisations join forces to raise awareness about the importance of early detection through screening and implementing preventative measures. With a focus on education and advocacy, the month-long campaign aims to empower communities to take charge of their health, understand the risk factors for the disease and embrace screening as a crucial tool in the fight against CRC.
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 107,320 new cases of colon cancer and 46,950 new cases of rectal cancer in 2025. One in 24 men and one in 25 women will develop CRC in their lifetime, making it one of the most common types of cancer in the country. More than 75% of individuals who die from CRC were not up to date with screening. Thankfully, most CRC cases can be avoided through preventative care and screening.
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According to the US Preventative Task Force, last updated in 2021, the recommended screening methods for CRC are faecal immunochemical tests, highly sensitive guaiac-based faecal occult blood tests, multi-target stool DNA tests (Cologuard) or visual exams by colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or computed tomography colonography. In July 2024, the Guardant Health Shield test, a blood-based CRC screening test, was approved by the FDA as a primary screening option. This test is re-imbursable by Medicare, increasing screening for more than 45 billion beneficiaries.
CRC has low survivability when diagnosed at its later stage
In 2020, only 69.7% of US adults aged 50 to 75 who were eligible for CRC screening were screened within recommended timeframes. This means that 30% of the eligible population – more than 50 million people – are under-screened for reasons such as a lack of medical care access, too few gastroenterologists in rural communities and insufficient education about the importance of CRC screening. The Shield test requires a simple blood draw that can be completed at a physician’s office, eliminating the additional preparations around stool tests and visual examinations.
CRC is an aggressive cancer with a low survivability rate when diagnosed at stage 4, when it has a survivability of 11% to 13%. By ensuring that the process of obtaining a CRC diagnosis is more accessible and patient-friendly, physicians will be able to catch cancers earlier, such as in stages 1 or 2 when survivability is 79% to 92%.
With limited access and potentially long wait times for colonoscopies, diagnosing CRC via in vitro diagnostics (IVD) tests is necessary to bridge the screening gap. Cancer screening is vital for catching cancers early so that patients can receive care during the curable stages. IVD companies such as Guardant Health are pushing innovation and patient-first test development to create solutions that make patient care more accessible.
