US-based precision oncology company Guardant Health has launched its blood-based colorectal cancer screening test, Shield, in collaboration with Samsung Medical Center in South Korea.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in South Korea. Guardant Health's Shield test, which can be used for regular CRC screening in eligible individuals, is an innovative test that can detect cancer in its early stages by analysing circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), which is produced when tumours shed small pieces of their genetic material into the bloodstream.

In the pivotal ECLIPSE study, which enrolled over 20,000 patients, the Shield test achieved 83% sensitivity for the detection of colorectal cancer in average-risk adults in the US, with specificity of 90%.

Since the launch of the lab-developed version of the Shield test in May 2022, it has shown approximately 90% adherence in a real-world clinical setting, demonstrating the value of blood-based screening to increase adherence to recommended screening protocols.