The American Cancer Society has added blood-based screening tests to its list of recommended choices for adults age 45 and older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer and who have not completed or have declined visual exams and stool tests.
The change comes as colorectal cancer cases have surged in recent years, with a study by the Canadian Medical Association Journal on April 13 finding that colorectal cancer is among four cancers estimated to account for 47 per cent of all new cancer cases in the country for 2026.
The American Cancer Society stated that blood-based screenings should only be used when a patient is not willing to get a stool-based test or visual exam.
Dr. Yoo-Joung Ko, a medical oncologist at St. Michael’s Hospital, said blood-based screening can be an easier option on patients.
“From a patient perspective, having a single blood test is often easier than having a colonoscopy,” he said. “The prep for a colonoscopy takes a better part of a day, and then the colonoscopy takes probably half a day in terms of patient commitment.”
Filomena Servidio-Italiano, president and CEO of Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network, said that “a simple blood draw is very appealing to Canadians who are at average risk of developing colorectal cancer” and “may increase participation in screening programs because there are no fasting or diet changes required.”
Barry D. Stein, president and CEO of Colorectal Cancer Canada, also welcomed the recommendation from the American society, even if Canadian provinces haven’t changed their screening guidelines.
“The more tools you can put in the toolbox, the better,” he said. “We are going in the direction where we hope one day to see a perfect blood test that can pick up not just colorectal cancer but all cancers.”