Guardant Health is leveraging star power to market its innovative Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening, recruiting actor James Van Der Beek as a brand ambassador. Van Der Beek, who publicly revealed his own stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in November 2024, brings powerful personal testimony to the campaign. The partnership targets a substantial untapped market of over 50 million Americans aged 45+ who currently avoid traditional, invasive screening methods. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has already included Shield, the first FDA-approved blood test for primary colorectal cancer screening, in its updated guidelines—a significant milestone for market acceptance.
Billion-Dollar Market Potential
The stark statistics underscore Shield’s market opportunity: 75% of colorectal cancer deaths occur in unscreened patients, while early detection boosts five-year survival rates from just 13% in late stages to over 90%. With more than 50,000 annual colorectal cancer deaths in the US alone, Shield’s blood-based alternative to conventional screening methods positions Guardant Health to capture a significant share of this rapidly growing market. Even a modest penetration into the currently unscreened population could substantially drive the company’s revenue growth.
