Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Wins Top Award
Adults due for colorectal screening now have a blood-based option recognized by national guidelines and an industry award panel.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cancer
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Guardant Health won the 2026 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Medical Technology for Shield, its blood test for colorectal cancer detection. A panel of science leaders, Nobel laureates, and industry executives selected Shield as the top innovation in the category, and the test is aimed at adults who are due for colorectal cancer screening but have not completed it.
Why it matters
Colorectal cancer screening participation remains a persistent gap, and a blood-based option gives people another route to screening besides stool tests or colonoscopy. Recognition from an industry award panel does not by itself change clinical guidance, but it reflects the growing role of blood tests in cancer screening.
Performance figures for Shield come from clinical trials, which reported 100% sensitivity for stage 2-4 colorectal cancer and 98.5% specificity, alongside more than 200,000 tests performed in real-world settings. The source does not describe the trial designs, sample sizes, or comparison groups behind these numbers.
The players
Guardant Health
A company focused on blood-based cancer diagnostics, including the Shield colorectal cancer screening test.
Prix Galien USA Awards
An awards program recognizing pharmaceutical and medical innovation across eight categories in the United States.
American Cancer Society
A national nonprofit that publishes evidence-based cancer screening guidelines, which include Shield.
The details
Shield is a blood-based test designed to detect colorectal cancer, offering an alternative to traditional screening approaches. It was the first blood test to receive FDA approval for primary colorectal cancer screening in 2024 and is included in American Cancer Society and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. The Prix Galien USA Awards recognize achievements across eight categories, and Shield was selected as the top medical technology innovation.
Timeline
2024: Shield received FDA approval for primary colorectal cancer screening.
Beginning of 2025: Guardant secured Medicare coverage for the test as a recurrence-monitoring tool in patients with colorectal cancer.
2026: Shield won the Prix Galien USA Award for Best Medical Technology.
Health Landscape
Shield's 2024 FDA approval made it the first blood test cleared for primary colorectal cancer screening, marking a shift from stool-based and endoscopic methods as the default first steps. Its inclusion in national guidelines positions blood testing as one option within the broader screening landscape rather than a replacement for colonoscopy.
If you are due for colorectal cancer screening, a blood test is one of several options worth discussing with your doctor, including stool-based tests and colonoscopy. Shield's guideline inclusion and high completion rates suggest it may help people who have avoided screening, but whether it fits your situation is a conversation for your clinician.
The takeaway
Blood-based colorectal cancer screening is now an established option backed by FDA approval and national guidelines. Ask your doctor which screening method best fits your risk and preferences, and keep up with recommended screening schedules.
Further reading
For more on how screening options for this disease are changing, explore Cancer coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MDDI Online.
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