New blood tests for detecting colorectal cancer seem like an easy and convenient option compared to a colonoscopy. Instead of preparing your bowels and undergoing an invasive procedure, you only need to give a small blood sample. But are these blood tests reliable enough?

Doctors in Dallas and other parts of Texas are beginning to use a new blood test that can detect colon cancer earlier. The Shield test offers results in about two weeks. DALLAS - A new FDA-approved blood test is helping doctors in Texas detect colon cancer earlier.

Austin patients are among the first in the country to have access to a new blood test capable of screening for colorectal cancer. Why it matters: Officials of California-based Guardant Health say their blood test will be a "game changer" in colorectal screenings,

Research that has not yet been peer-reviewed shows the newest blood test is more than 80% accurate in detecting colon cancer in people who had the disease. The test is 90% accurate in ruling out cancer in healthy adults, according to the study published Monday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.