NEW YORK – Guardant Health said Wednesday that it has initiated a new study assessing whether the availability of a blood-based colorectal cancer screening assay, specifically its own Guardant Shield test, improves patient adherence to recommended colorectal cancer screening.
The study, Understanding Patient Preference on Colorectal Cancer Screening Options (U-Screen), will be conducted by the Center for Asian Health Equity at the University of Chicago Medicine and will enroll individuals between the ages of 45 and 75 who are at average risk of developing CRC and have failed to complete guideline-recommended screening.
The effort is specifically targeting patients receiving care at three federally qualified health centers, which oversee multiple clinics in Illinois and Indiana, providing primary care services to minority and low-income populations. Investigators plan to enroll 2,400 patients over a three-year study period.
According to Guardant, one in three adults fail to complete recommended CRC screening, with adherence particularly low among minority and economically disadvantaged populations.
"We believe patient access to a highly accurate blood test can increase overall compliance to screening, which is critical to improving CRC outcomes," Guardant co-CEO AmirAli Talasaz said in a statement.