The American Cancer Society has updated its colorectal cancer screening guidelines to include blood-based tests like the FDA-approved Shield cell-free DNA test. While colonoscopy remains the gold standard, blood tests are now an accepted fallback for the roughly 1 in 3 Americans who skip screening entirely. New stool-based options, Cologuard Plus and ColoSense, were also added. Screening is recommended starting at age 45 for average-risk adults. The key message: the best test is the one you actually complete. Blood tests are less sensitive than stool or colonoscopy options but far better than no screening at all.
