AGA Comments on NEJM Study on Blood-Based Screening to Detect Early-Stage Cancer

According to a March 13 press release from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a study on a new blood-based screening test that can detect early-stage cancer.

The press release says that “Having data on a new blood-based screening test for colorectal cancer is exciting. If approved, it will help identify people who will need to undergo colonoscopy to confirm the diagnosis and ultimately help save lives. There is still much to learn, too.”

Further, “Colonoscopies allow detection and removal of precancerous polyps as well as identifying cancer early when it is in the most treatable stages. The blood test reported in the New England Journal of Medicine study is only designed to pick up cancers and not precancerous polyps.”

The association adds that blood tests are not interchangeable with colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screenings but instead should be treated as an additional tool to identify colorectal cancer early.

“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined it will cover a blood test for colorectal cancer screening every three years if the test achieves 74% sensitivity for CRC, 90% specificity, and FDA approval,” the press release comments. “However, a blood test that meets only the CMS criteria, will be inferior to current recommended tests and should not be recommended to replace current tests. Such a test could be recommended for patients who decline all other recommended tests, since any screening is better than no screening at all.”

Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer in the U.S. and trends have shown that individuals in their prime years are now developing it. AGA says that it has lowered the recommended age for colonoscopies to 45 years.

AGA’s leaders commented on the study in The New York Times.

AGA has the press release.