Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced that the Shield™ by Guardant blood-based screening test is now widely accessible for physician order through the nationwide connectivity of Quest Diagnostics, equipping clinicians with access to blood-based screening innovation for colorectal cancer (CRC) through one of the largest diagnostic ecosystems in the United States.
Shield is the first and only blood test to receive full FDA approval as a primary screening option for colorectal cancer in average-risk adults aged 45 and older. Under the agreement, providers that order lab testing from Quest can now directly access Shield through their existing Quest account and electronic health record (EHR).
Quest provides healthcare connectivity solutions to nearly 650,000 clinician and hospital accounts annually in the United States. Providers can also utilize Quest’s approximately 2,000 patient service centers and approximately 6,000 in-office phlebotomists across the United States for blood draws for Shield.
“Activating our strategic collaboration with Quest marks a pivotal milestone in broadening access to Shield and empowering primary care physicians across the country to bring the lifesaving advantages of early detection to their patients with just a blood draw,” said AmirAli Talasaz, Guardant Health co-CEO. “Shield’s innovative technology supported by Quest’s vast, nationwide infrastructure will strengthen our ability to fundamentally transform colorectal cancer screening by equipping doctors with a quick, easier screening option patients are far more likely to complete.”
As part of the strategic arrangement, Quest’s national commercial sales team will actively educate primary care physicians about access to the test.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. with a 91 percent five-year survival rate if caught in early stages.1 Yet, over 54 million people do not complete the recommended screening, in part because they find the available options, colonoscopy and stool tests, unpleasant or inconvenient.2 With Shield, individuals can be screened with just a blood draw, helping to detect cancer early, when it is more treatable.
Shield is proven to increase screening rates in the real world, with 93% of patients completing the test in the first 100,000 Shield tests ordered – a significant improvement in screening adherence rates over other types of tests.3 Recently, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network included the Shield blood test in its updated CRC screening guidelines, paving the way for improved patient access and additional major clinical guideline inclusions.
Shield is covered by Medicare, Veterans Affairs Community Care Network and TRICARE, and is commercially available across the U.S.
About Shield
Shield is a methylation partitioning cell-free DNA (mp-cfDNA) non-invasive, blood-based screening test that detects alterations associated with colorectal cancer in the blood. It is intended as a screening test for individuals at average risk for the disease, age 45 or older, and is not intended for individuals at high risk for colorectal cancer. The Shield test can be considered in a manner similar to guideline-recommended non-invasive CRC screening options and can be completed during any healthcare visit. A positive Shield result raises concern for the presence of colorectal cancer or advanced adenoma and the patient should be referred for colonoscopy evaluation.
About Guardant Health
Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.
Guardant Health Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health’s liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health’s financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
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American Cancer Society. Mortality Under 50 Declines for 4 of 5 Leading Cancers in U.S., but Colorectal Now Top Cancer Killer, New ACS Study Finds. American Cancer Society Pressroom. January 22, 2026. https://pressroom.cancer.org/under-50-mortality-declines
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Ebner DW, Kisiel JB, Fendrick AM, Estes C, Li K, Vahdat V, Limburg PJ. Estimated average-risk colorectal cancer screening-eligible population in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Mar 29;7(3):e245537. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5537. PMID: 38551567; PMCID: PMC10980958
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Inadomi JM, Vijan S, Janz NK, et al. Adherence to colorectal cancer screening: a randomized clinical trial of competing strategies. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(7):575-582.
