US Panel Trims Colorectal Cancer Screening Age, Opens Door to Annual Cologuard Use

The headline takeaway from the final USPSTF recommendations is that the body now recommends the screening of adults aged 45 to 49 years old for colorectal cancer. USPSTF previously supported screening people aged 50 to 75 years. The younger cohort is covered by a grade B recommendation compared to the grade A recommendation in the over 50s, but that still means private insurers have to cover the screening of adults aged 45 to 49 years under the Affordable Care Act.

USPSTF revised details of its recommendations on Cologuard and other stool-based tests in the final document, while leaving its core conclusions unchanged. The final version opens the door to the use of Cologuard every year, giving Exact Sciences a chance to benefit from more frequent screening.

The draft version said screening with Cologuard every year “would result in more colonoscopies than annual screening with FIT.” USPSTF has softened its position in the final text, explaining that view is based on “modeling estimates” and adding the statement that “[Cologuard] every 1 to 3 years is estimated to provide a reasonable balance of life years gained per estimated follow-up colonoscopy compared with no screening.”

Source: https://www.medtechdive.com/news/us-panel-trims-colorectal-cancer-screening-age-opens-door-to-annual-cologu/600417/