FDA APPROVED FOR COLON CANCER SCREENING

My colorectal cancer story and why I believe in Shield

James Van Der Beek - Actor, Father, Colon Cancer Screening Advocate

It didn’t feel urgent. I wish I hadn’t waited.

I thought I was fine. I was healthy, active, eating right, doing everything I was supposed to be doing. Cancer wasn’t even on my radar. I started noticing small symptoms. Nothing major. I didn’t act right away because I didn’t think I needed to.

When I finally got screened, I was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. I was in shock. I had no idea it could happen to someone like me. Now, I know the earlier you catch it, the easier the journey. I just wish I had known to get screened.

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Life doesn’t pause. Neither should getting screened for colon cancer.

I didn’t expect how heavy the mental side of it would be. The scan results and the diagnosis were hard, but the real weight came from the questions: Will I be there for my kids? Can I still be the dad, the partner, the provider I’ve always tried to be?

Cancer slowed everything down. It forced me to sit still, to be present, and to see clearly what matters most.

“I didn’t get screened when I should’ve. Shield is the kind of test I wish had been part of my care.”

— James Van Der Beek

*Shield is the more pleasant way to screen for colon cancer.

For Important Product Information, including precaution and limitations click here.

The earlier you catch colorectal cancer, the easier it is to treat.

Shield is the more pleasant
way to screen for colon cancer

Shield is an FDA-approved blood test that can be done at any healthcare provider visit

Simple blood test

Sample collected in minutes

No handling of stool

Results in ~2 weeks

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Get screened for colon cancer. Don’t wait.

I felt healthy. I had energy. I didn’t have symptoms. What I didn’t know was that colon cancer screening is now recommended at 45, and that there’s a blood test called Shield that makes a difference in detecting colorectal cancer. If I can help someone avoid the journey I’ve been on, this is how I’ll do it. Ask your doctor about getting screened for colon cancer. Don’t wait.

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*Important Product Information

Intended Use

The Shield™ test is a qualitative, in vitro diagnostic test intended to detect colorectal cancer derived alterations in cell-free DNA from blood collected in the Guardant Shield Blood Collection Kit.
Shield is intended for colorectal cancer screening in individuals at average risk for the disease, age 45 years or older. Patients with a positive result should be followed by colonoscopy. Shield is not a replacement for diagnostic colonoscopy or for surveillance colonoscopy in high-risk individuals. This test is performed at Guardant Health, Inc.

Precaution: Based on data from clinical studies, Shield has limited detection (55%-65%) of Stage I colorectal cancer and does not detect 87% of precancerous lesions. One out of 10 patients with a negative Shield result may have a precancer that would have been detected by a screening colonoscopy. Shield demonstrated high detection of Stages II, III, and IV colorectal cancer.

Limitations and Other Important Information: The Shield test is not indicated for patients that have personal history of colorectal cancer, adenomas, or other related cancers; or those who had a positive result on another colorectal cancer screening method within the last six months, have been diagnosed with a condition associated with high risk for colorectal cancer such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), Crohn’s disease; or who have a family history of colorectal cancer, or certain hereditary syndromes. Providers should discuss the most appropriate screening test to use with patients depending on their medical history and individual circumstances. Shield may produce a false negative or false positive result. A false negative result may occur when the Shield test does not detect a colorectal tumor signal while a colonoscopy identifies a colorectal cancer. A negative result does not guarantee the absence of colorectal cancer or advanced adenoma, and patients should continue participating in colorectal cancer screening programs at the appropriate guideline-recommended intervals. A false positive result may occur when the Shield test generates a positive result while a colonoscopy will not find colorectal cancer or advanced adenoma.

Please read our Patient Fact Sheet for complete product information about the Shield test including full safety information.

  1. References:
  2. Chung DC, Gray DM II, Singh H, et al. A cell-free DNA blood-based test for colorectal cancer screening. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(11):973-983.doi:10.1056/NAEJMoa2304714
  3. Shield™ Provider Brochure. Redwood City, CA: Guardant Health, 2024