NEW YORK, July 29 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved new blood test to detect colon cancer, one of the highest cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

The California-based biotechnology company Guardant Health said that the test, called Shield, was approved for screening among adults 45 and older, who are at average risk of colorectal cancer.

The company planed to launch its product in the near future.

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that Shield is 83 percent effective in finding colorectal cancers. It works by detecting DNA that cancerous tumors shed in blood samples.

It's most effective in finding later-stage cancers, when tumors release more of that DNA, according to clinical trial data.

Specialists said that the new test isn't a replacement for colonoscopies, but provides a noninvasive approach to screening. Colonoscopies are still considered the gold standard for screening, especially for the precancerous growths.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but most of them can be prevented with increased screening.

The American Cancer Society estimated that more than 150,000 people in the country will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024 and the disease will be responsible for more than 53,000 deaths.

  - Xinhua