Jennifer Maratt, M.D., M.S., explains why improving colon cancer screening involves evaluating follow-up tests to address process gaps and enhance effectiveness.
Transcript:
Colon cancer screening is a process. And when we think about ways to improve the process, we think about many points along that screening path, not just the initial test, but a follow up test. You can also measure among the people that had an appropriate colorectal cancer screening test, how many or what was the proportion that had appropriate follow-up. So, when we think about addressing points in this colon cancer screening pathway and ways we can improve the process, I think about where are the gaps in the process. And this is one of the gaps.
Dr. Maratt explains why more colorectal screening tests doesn’t mean less follow-up.
Transcript:
When we think about colorectal cancer screening, we think about several tests now. We have a lot of different tests we can use in our toolbox in addition to colonoscopy, which is historically the most commonly used test for colorectal cancer screening. But now we have great stool-based tests. The test is done, and then there’s a positive or a negative result. If there’s a negative result, the test should be repeated to increase the yield that it would detect colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps. Now, if the test is positive, then it’s recommended that the individual has a colonoscopy. And what we found in studies is that there is a gap in this, meaning that not 100 percent of patients that are undergoing a stool-based test for colorectal cancer screening that are found to have a positive test are following up with a colonoscopy in a timely manner.
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