A blood test to screen for colorectal cancer in average-risk individuals without symptoms accurately detected the malignancy in 83% of people confirmed to have the disease, a study released Wednesday showed.

The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers said the blood test’s accuracy rate for colorectal cancer is similar to at-home stool tests. It’s a promising step, they said, to developing more accessible screening tools for catching the disease early – when it’s easier to treat.

The test would could improve upon low levels of colorectal cancer screening – a major cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States that results in some 50,000 deaths each year.