Stool Based Colorectal Cancer Screening
As a gastroenterologist I've been dismayed, reflecting my feeling about how my GI colleagues across the country have responded defensively to the emergence of Cologuard. They've looked at it from the onset as a threat rather than as a tool that their patients can use regularly - David Ahlquist MD
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Giving Patients Choices in Colon Cancer Screening
A new study shows that patients are far less likely to undergo screening for colon cancer if their doctors recommend only colonoscopy, rather than offering other screening options.
The research suggests that offering patients at risk more choices might help increase the rate of testing for a disease that has long been associated with low screening rates. Survival rates for colorectal cancer are high when the disease is found early and treated, but nationwide, screening for the disease lags far behind that for breast and cervical cancers. Health authorities recommend that everyone be screened for colon cancer after the age of 50, or sooner in those who have additional risk factors,…
Resources
Can A Simple Poop Test Replace Your Colonoscopy?
There are three main ways to detect colon cancer. A colonoscopy is accurate but expensive ($2,200 on average). A fecal immunochemical test, which looks for hidden blood in a stool sample, costs about $60 but is more likely to miss cancer and must be taken every year. Then there is Exact's Cologuard...
The Truth About Cologuard Tests
Cologuard spends millions advertising its colon cancer screening product, but it’s impossible for patients to get all the information they need in a TV commercial. The majority of large precancerous polyps cannot be detected with Cologuard. This may give patients a false sense that they are preventing colon cancer by taking the test, when in fact they may already have cancer and not know it.
Colorectal cancer screening: are stool and blood based tests good enough?
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third commonest cancer worldwide. As many CRC patients were identified at advanced stages, screening asymptomatic individuals has substantial clinical benefit. Most CRC arises through recognizable early stage. With the improved understanding of the biology of CRC and precancerous lesion, testing molecular aberrations in stool and blood promises novel screening approaches that are noninvasive, sensitive, and more affordable compared with traditional structural examinations.
Dreading a Colonoscopy? Other Tests Are Just as Effective for Colon Cancer
Some medical experts are touting alternatives to colonoscopies as a way to improve screening rates for colorectal cancer. It might be time to knock the colonoscopy off its pedestal.
Easier Screening Tests for Colon Cancer
Are there any easier alternatives to a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer? I’m in my 60s and would like to be tested, but hate the idea of drinking all that laxative solution and being sedated for the procedure. There are two different types of tests on the market today that you can take in the privacy of your own home that requires no laxative-taking/bowel-cleansing preparation.
Fecal Blood Testing or Colonoscopy
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its evidence review and continues to recommend colorectal cancer (CRC) screening for persons between the ages of 50 and 75 to reduce CRC mortality.1 The USPSTF declined, however, to express a preference in screening methods, stating “Multiple screening strategies are available to choose from, with different levels of evidence to support their effectiveness, as well as unique advantages and limitations, although there are no empirical data to demonstrate that any of the reviewed strategies provide a greater net benefit.”
New Noninvasive Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Is Effective In Large Trial
A new, noninvasive test for colorectal cancer seems to detect more cancers and precancerous polyps than the currently available noninvasive test, the fecal immunochemical test for occult blood (FIT), according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
New Ways to Screen for Colon Cancer
No More Colonoscopies? Less-Invasive Methods Are Coming.
Colorectal cancer screening: Science should trump convenience
Almost 1 in 6 people who use the Cologuard test will have a positive result that suggests the presence of colorectal cancer. They will no doubt worry they have colon cancer while scheduling and preparing for the recommended follow-up colonoscopy. For almost half of them (45 percent), the colonoscopy will show they do not have cancer.
Giving Patients Choices in Colon Cancer Screening
A new study shows that patients are far less likely to undergo screening for colon cancer if their doctors recommend only colonoscopy, rather than offering other screening options.
EZ Detect
The good news is that no one has to die from colon cancer. With over a 90 percent cure rate caught early enough, colon cancer is preventable and treatable. Early detection through screening is the key.
FIT
Unlike other tests that require fecal collection and test card smears, the InSure® FIT™ requires a gentle brushing of the stool in water for about 5 seconds. •It's easy and convenient to use the InSure® FIT™ collection kit in the privacy of your own home to screen for colorectal cancer. •There are no medicinal or dietary restrictions before or during taking the test.
StopColonCancerNow.com
A fecal occult blood test may be a good option for a colon cancer screening. If you are age 50 or older, your doctor may recommend this screening once per year. You may, however, need other screenings that directly examine the colon. Fecal occult blood testing can also reflect many other gastrointestinal conditions which cause blood in the stool.
Bowel Cancer Australia
Screening using a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer. The FIT can detect blood from pre-cancerous polyps or from early stage bowel cancer. When identified early, 90% of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated. In accordance with medical guidelines, Bowel Cancer Australia recommends people at average risk* of bowel cancer screen using a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) every 1 to 2 years from age 50.
MayoClinic
If blood is detected through a fecal occult blood test, additional tests may be needed to determine the source of the bleeding. The fecal occult blood test can only detect the presence or absence of blood — it doesn't indicate potential sources of bleeding.
Patient
As colorectal cancer is much more common in older people, the decision has been made for people of a certain age to be invited to participate in the colorectal cancer screening programme. This involves testing three samples of your stools (faeces) for blood.
ColoGuard
Cologuard is an easy to use, noninvasive colon cancer screening test based on the latest advances in stool DNA science. It can be used by men and women 50 years of age and older who are at average risk for colon cancer. Cologuard finds both cancer and precancer.
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