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Blood test added to screening guidelines for colorectal cancers for first time
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5897299-new-blood-test-colorectal-cancer/?tbref=hpThe American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its guidelines Wednesday to include two new screening options for colorectal cancer, including a first-ever blood test.
The ACS already recommends that adults take colonoscopy tests every 10 years beginning at age 45 and ending at age 75. However, the medical association noted that a sizable proportion of the American public — 1 in 3 people — skip this evaluation or other colorectal screening measures altogether.
Colonoscopies are performed under anesthesia and involve a medical examination of a patient’s colon and rectum for signs of colorectal cancer. The ACS already recommends several alternatives for this evaluation, including visual exams and home-based stool tests.
These new screening options, which include a blood-based evaluation and an at-home screening option, were shared by Robert Smith, the association’s senior vice president of early cancer detection science, in a report Wednesday morning.
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