The blood test was 81% accurate in detecting colon cancer among people who have the disease, researchers reported at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium held in San Francisco.

It also was 90% accurate in ruling out colon cancer among healthy people, researchers said.

Such a blood test could help boost colon cancer screening rates, lead researcher Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a gastroenterologist with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.

Currently, about 22% of people eligible for colon cancer screening have never received it, researchers said in background notes. In some states, the percentage is higher than 40%.