Approximately 52,500 Americans died last year from colon cancer; however, the disease is treatable if detected in its early stages.
Early Screening for Colon Cancer
Primary care and prevention experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that adults aged 45 to 75 undergo screening for colon cancer.
Stool Tests
The most common test for colon cancer screening is a colonoscopy once every decade. However, there are easier methods that can detect signs of the disease in a person’s stool. New blood tests may also become available soon. Researchers and manufacturers say that simpler tests like these can encourage more Americans to get screened.
Blood Tests
Guardant Health, a company from Silicon Valley, has developed a genetic blood test called Shield that can be prescribed by primary care physicians.
Tests Currently Available
There are currently two stool tests available that are less expensive and easier to perform than a colonoscopy: Cologuard and the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). One of the new blood tests may become available in the market in 2024 and could expand the number of people being screened.
Comparing Tests
Colonoscopy is the test that detects the highest percentage of cases at 95%. Cologuard, which detects high-risk gene mutations in stool samples, can find 92% of colon cancers. FIT can detect 74% of colon cancers based on a single test, but is conducted annually and may uncover more cancer cases over time.
Insurance Coverage for Tests
If the Shield test is approved by the FDA, the next step will be to gain insurance coverage for the test. AmirAli Talasaz, co-founder and co-CEO of Guardant, stated that the price of the test will be influenced by the reimbursement rate provided by Medicare, but he expects it to be at a similar level to stool tests and less expensive than colonoscopy.
Insurance Coverage for Tests
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required to cover preventive care that receives an “A” or “B” rating from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force has given an “A” rating to colon cancer screening for adults aged 50 to 75 and a “B” rating for adults aged 45 to 49.
Comparing Tests
Experts not affiliated with Guardant express skepticism that blood tests will succeed. They say it will be difficult to make progress with the medical community and consumers who are slow to adapt to non-colonoscopy screening tests.
Will Blood Tests Miss Polyps?
The medical community will follow the results of a few clinical trials that will compare the use of FIT annually or every two years with colonoscopy once every decade. One of these studies is being conducted by the Department of Defense.
Alternative Tests
Thomas Imperiale, a professor of gastroenterology and liver at Indiana University School of Medicine, states that the FIT test, which detects blood in the stool, has been available since the late 1990s but has not gained popularity in the U.S. market, except in large institutions like the Department of Defense and Kaiser Permanente.
Improving Screening Rates
Shaukat, director of research outcomes at NYU Langone Hospital, envisions blood tests as a secondary option behind colonoscopy and stool tests. For instance, a blood test may be suitable for adults in their late 40s who are hesitant to undergo a colonoscopy or stool test.
FIT Tests
Barnett Kramer, the retired director of the Cancer Prevention Division at the National Cancer Institute and a member of the Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, states that FIT tests are relatively low-cost and evidence-based. These tests can also be performed at home and sent to a laboratory. Additionally, the FIT test does not require the rigorous preparation or potential side effects associated with a colonoscopy.
Tests
Blood Tests Still Unproven
Although blood tests may soon become more available, Kramer says they are still unproven.
Source: https://www.aol.com/dreading-colonoscopy-tests-consumers-more-110255321.html
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