Scientists have created new blood tests that can detect early chemical markers of cancer. For diseases such as pancreatic cancer, this could lead to earlier diagnosis and a better prognosis. (Image credit: CSA Images via Getty Images)
About four years ago, John Gormley, now 77, had what was supposed to be a routine blood test. But the results changed his life forever.
The test results showed that Gormley had colon cancer, which was later confirmed by a colonoscopy; it was stage two, meaning the cancer had grown through the wall of the colon but had not spread to the lymph nodes.
“I thought [my doctor] was wrong,” Gormley, the CEO of a construction firm near Newport Beach, California, told Live Science. “I was like, ‘No, I don’t feel anything.’ But it was true; the colonoscopy confirmed it.”
Gormley was one of the first patients to receive a newly approved test called Shield, which its developers say can detect colon cancer from a blood sample. After his diagnosis, Gormley underwent surgery to remove the tumor and was back at work within 10 days.
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An early version of Guardant Health's Shield test was available for sale in 2022, but it was not covered by insurance. However, following its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2024, a diagnostic version of Shield was released for sale and is now covered by Medicare.
Shield is just a drop of blood in the ocean of emerging “liquid biopsies.”
Scientists have developed blood tests for a variety of cancers, including breast, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Some can even
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