From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Madison-based Exact Sciences is rolling out new research findings this week to illustrate the effectiveness of its own colorectal cancer screening options.
The diagnostics company yesterday touted results being presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting in Arizona.
One of Exact Sciences’ featured studies modeled clinical and economic impacts for its “next-generation” multitarget stool DNA test, or mt-sDNA, comparing it to a fecal immunochemical test, or FIT.
Based on a hypothetical cohort of 1 million average-risk people, the mt-sDNA test screened more than twice as many patients as the FIT. It also detected more than five times as many advanced precancerous lesions and nearly four times as many colorectal cancer cases, preventing 5.5 times more cancers in the model. These findings resulted in a projected 3% lower treatment cost and 2% lower total costs.
Dr. Paul Limburg, the company’s chief medical officer, said research findings “continue to highlight how our comprehensive support, coupled with robust science, make Cologuard and Cologuard Plus best-in-class tools for early colorectal cancer detection.”
See the release below.
— Meanwhile, Guardant Health is now offering a new colorectal cancer blood test in Wisconsin, the California precision medicine firm announced.
Its Shield screening tool is the first blood test approved by the FDA as a primary screening method for colorectal cancer, the release shows. The announcement notes more than 50 million Americans aren’t meeting recommended colorectal cancer screening guidelines.
The company says its test is more accessible and convenient than existing options, as it only requires a blood draw to test for the presence of this cancer. Its blood test aims to avoid “the inconvenience and discomfort associated with traditional screening methods” such as colonoscopies and stool-based tests, according to the release.
The test, meant for people age 45 or older at average risk for colorectal cancer, was recently included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network screening guidelines. Guardant Health notes it’s also covered by Medicare and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Community Care Network. It’s now being offered by prescription through a doctor or other health care providers to eligible state residents.
See the release below.
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– Guardant Health: New blood test to screen for colon cancer now available in Wisconsin
