The FDA has recently approved two new tests for colorectal cancer screenings. These tests are less invasive, and may encourage more patients to seek care.
Here are seven things to know about new colonoscopy alternatives:
1. At the beginning of October, the FDA approved the Cologuard Plus test, a next-generation, multitarget stool DNA test approved for patients at an average risk for colorectal cancer.
2. In a trial of 19,000 patients, ]Cologuard Plus test demonstrated 95% overall cancer sensitivity and 43% sensitivity for advanced precancerous lesions at 94% specificity.
3. Cologuard Plus outperformed an independent fecal immunochemical test for overall CRC sensitivity.
4. The new version's predecessor, the traditional Cologuard test, has been used more than 17 million times.
5. There has been a recent uptick in younger patients undergoing colon cancer screenings. Study authors attribute the uptick to more widespread use of noninvasive colorectal cancer screening methods, such as Cologuard.
6. In July, the FDA approved a new screening test for colorectal cancer that only requires a sample of blood.
7. The Shield blood test was able to detect 83% of colorectal cancers in studies, but only 13% of dangerous polyps.