What we know about the colon cancer blood test being evaluated by the FDA [Video]

(WXYZ) —  In today’s Health Alert, a panel of experts is evaluating whether a simple blood test designed to detect early signs of colon cancer is safe and effective.  Developed by Guardant Health, the California-based biotechnology company is currently seeking FDA approval for its screening test called Shield.

It’s a blood test that’s geared for people aged 45 and up and who are also at average risk of colon cancer. So, those who’ve received a prior abnormal test result or have a personal or family history of colon cancer would not be eligible.

Now, the Shield test works by detecting DNA fragments released by both cancerous tumor cells and precancerous growths in blood samples.

The pros and cons of this test were revealed in a study with over 7,800 participants. The test had an 83% sensitivity rate in accurately identifying colon cancer and 90% specificity, which means how well it …