As gastroenterologists, an important part of our job is preventing colon cancer by making sure our patients receive the screening that is most effective for them—the right screening at the right time.
Recently, we have seen a concerning trend: insurance companies are mailing at-home colon cancer screening kits to people whose records show they have not been screened or are late in getting their screening. This trend is troubling because these tests weren’t recommended or ordered by the patient’s doctor or gastroenterologist, which can lead to inappropriate testing.
At-home screening kits, like Cologuard®, play an important role in making sure more people get screened and find cancer as early as possible. But colorectal cancer screening is most effective when doctors work with each patient to recommend the best screening for them based on age, family history, and other risk factors.
For patients with a family history of colon cancer, prior history of polyps, or who have certain medical conditions, colonoscopy is the only appropriate colon cancer screening. These patients should not be given Cologuard® or other stool-based testing. Most importantly, patients who get a positive result from one of these tests will still need to have a colonoscopy. The false positive rate for Cologuard® is 13%, and the false negative rate is 8%.
Get the Best Test! Why You Should Choose Colonoscopy
While any colon cancer screening is better than none, the data below shows that compared to other options, colonoscopy is the most effective in finding the advanced precancerous polyps that can lead to colon cancer:
- Colonoscopy: 91 to 100% accurate detection of advanced precancerous polyps (Source)
- Cologuard®: 42% accurate detection (Source)
- FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test): 23.8% accurate detection (Source)
- Blood test: 13% accurate detection (Source)
Effectiveness of screening options for detecting advanced precancerous polyps that can lead to colon cancer
Colonoscopy Can Stop Colon Cancer Before it Starts
Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colon cancer screening because it is the only test that finds and removes polyps before they become cancer. If you have a family history of colon cancer or other high-risk factors, colonoscopy is the only recommended test.
Your Health is Our Top Priority
Doctors who are highly trained in their field and do this work every day should be trusted to help their patients make decisions. It is the best practice for patients to have a conversation with their doctor outlining the benefits and limits of the available options for colon cancer screening. If you or someone you know receives an unsolicited colon cancer screening kit, we recommend they call their doctor before using the kit.
Click here to learn more about colonoscopies, what to expect, and to schedule your screening appointment with a gastroenterologist at The Oregon Clinic.