A blood tests intended for its detection colon cancer in people who are at average risk and do not have symptoms, correctly detect the specific cancer in 83% of individuals, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings come from the ECLIPSE study, a multi-country clinical trial involving nearly 8,000 people aged 45-84 years. The researchers compared the blood test, which detects signals of colon cancer in the blood from the DNA shed from the tumors, with the colonoscopy.

Specifically, of the 7,861 people included in the survey, 83.1% of the participants confirmed with colonoscopy that he suffers from colon cancer had a positive blood test and 16.9% had a negative test.

The test it was more sensitive for colon cancers, including early-stage cancers, but less sensitive for advanced precancerous lesions, which can turn into cancer over time.

According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in adults in the US and is expected to cause 53,010 deaths in 2024. While death rates among older adults have declined, rates among people under of 55 years have increased by about 1% per year since the mid-2000s. Current guidelines recommend that people at average risk for colon cancer begin regular screening at age 45. However, it is estimated that only 50% to 60% of people who need screening do so.

“Having a blood-based test that people can take during routine doctor visits could be an opportunity to help more people get screened,” notes William Grady, a gastroenterologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.