Dad’s Grill

The full caption

Dad was certain a grill was a grill. The turkey had other plans.

Both recommended does not mean equivalent in every respect. The American Cancer Society includes stool DNA testing and colonoscopy among screening options for eligible average-risk adults.

In the FDA-reviewed Cologuard Plus study, 1,113 of 1,962 participants with advanced precancer tested negative: 56.7%, or about 57%, in one screening round. Colonoscopy and histopathology supplied the reference findings.

This is the percentage of participants who had advanced precancer whose stool DNA test was negative. It is not the percentage of all screened adults with missed disease, a cancer miss rate, or the chance that a negative result conceals advanced precancer.

Colonoscopy can directly examine the colon and remove detected precancerous polyps. It can also miss lesions and involves preparation, logistical burdens and procedural risks. Stool DNA testing is a legitimate at-home option that requires repeat screening; a positive result needs follow-up colonoscopy. A negative stool result does not automatically mean an immediate colonoscopy is needed.

Colonoscopy First advocates high-quality colonoscopy for screening-eligible, average-risk adults who are medically appropriate, willing and have timely access. Ask your clinician about the tradeoffs and choose a screening plan you can complete.

The family scenes are fictional recreations. Independent physician-led education; no medical organization endorses this campaign.

BLUE-C was funded by Exact Sciences, maker of Cologuard Plus; multiple published-study authors were company employees. Single-round test performance does not establish lifetime screening outcomes.