A newfangled blood test isn't as good at detecting colon cancer as a colonoscopy Colonoscopy outperformed both the blood test and fecal tests Two and a half times more colon cancer deaths are projected among people who choose the blood test over colonoscopy TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged folks facing a screening now have a blood test they can choose over a standard colonoscopy. However, the blood test isn't as effective as colonoscopy at detecting and preventing colon cancer, a new review finds.
About two and a half times more colon cancer deaths can be expected to occur in people taking the blood test every three years as recommended, compared to those who undergo colonoscopy once a decade. Colon cancer death rates will increase if too many people choose the blood test over either colonoscopy or stool-based tests, researchers predicted. “The first generation of blood tests are a really exciting development in the colorectal cancer screening paradigm,” said lead researcher , a professor of gastroenterology with Stanford Medicine.
“But for now, if you’re willing and able to do a colonoscopy or stool-based test, don’t switch to a blood test.” The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration in July approved the first for screening colon cancer in people at average risk of the disease. The FDA based its approval on a clinical trial involving nearly 8,000 people, which found that the test detected colon cancer in more than 83% of people with a colorectal .