Kirstie Alley waited until she had symptoms, too late!

[NW Dive Dawg]

IMHO.....Cologuard is totally inferior compared to a full colonoscopy procedure. All it does is to tell you that you have indications of actually having colon cancer.

An actual colonoscopy can prevent cancer because it identifies issues that are pre cancerous AND then removes and biopsies existing polyps that can potentially be cancerous. The colonoscopy prep procedure......and the actual procedure....... is a minor inconvenience compared to the alternative of dying from a very preventable cancer.

 

[DandyDon]

IMHO.....Cologuard is totally inferior compared to a full colonoscopy procedure. All it does is to tell you that you have indications of actually having colon cancer.

An actual colonoscopy can prevent cancer because it identifies issues that are pre cancerous AND then removes and biopsies existing polyps that can potentially be cancerous. The colonoscopy prep procedure......and the actual procedure....... is a minor inconvenience compared to the alternative of dying from a very preventable cancer.

Yes, all true, but most do nothing until it's too late. If my brother had been doing annual Cologuard tests, he would have been alerted sooner and his experiences could have gone much better. Like Kirstie, he waited until he had symptoms and it took heroic efforts of many neighbors, family, and practitioners to save him. He endured horrible treatments then and his life is hell today again.

Yes, a colonoscopy is best, but we can't get many to do those. A Cologuard is a compromise to get people to do something.

 

[tursiops]

Yes, all true, but most do nothing until it's too late. If my brother had been doing annual Colorguard tests, he would have been alerted sooner and his experiences could have gone much better. Like Kirstie, he waited until he had symptoms and it took heroic efforts of many neighbors, family, and practitioners to save him. He endured horrible treatments then and his life is hell today again.

Yes, a colonoscopy is best, but we can't get many to do those. A Colorguard is a compromise to get people to do something.

Why do you insist on calling it Colorguard, when the actual name is Cologuard? Are you trying to confuse people rather than help them?

 

[EdC]

Yes, all true, but most do nothing until it's too late. If my brother had been doing annual Colorguard tests, he would have been alerted sooner and his experiences could have gone much better. Like Kirstie, he waited until he had symptoms and it took heroic efforts of many neighbors, family, and practitioners to save him. He endured horrible treatments then and his life is hell today again.

Yes, a colonoscopy is best, but we can't get many to do those. A Colorguard is a compromise to get people to do something.

Actually "most" do.

Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests | CDC

More people are getting screened for colorectal cancer.

www.cdc.gov

 

[DandyDon]

Why do you insist on calling it Colorguard, when the actual name is Cologuard? Are you trying to confuse people rather than help them?

Honestly, I did not notice the complete correction. I went back and edited all of my uses of the name.

Actually "most" do.

Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests | CDC

More people are getting screened for colorectal cancer.

www.cdc.gov

Ok, thanks. Those figures are better than I'd thought, but there are still 20% over 50 who haven't. What about age 40-50?

 

[tursiops]

Honestly, I did not notice the complete correction. I went back and edited all of my uses of the name.

Good on 'ya.

 

[Ghost95]

You know what the follow-up for a positive cologuard test is? Yep, a colonoscopy. If you have insurance that covers it just get s colonoscopy it's better and has less false positive/negative results than the poop in a bucket test.

Just my 2 cents after going through this.

 

[Akimbo]

Yep, a colonoscopy. If you have insurance that covers it just get s colonoscopy it's better and has less false positive/negative results than the poop in a bucket test.

From what I understand, Cologuard has fairly low false negative rates, especially when you consider that Medicare and insurance will pay for it more often than a colonoscopy. "The false positive" rate is debatable because it can find cancer before it is apparent on a colonoscopy. Timing is everything.

Another less expensive option is an annual FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test), which some studies show it is as effective as a 5-10 year colonoscopy. Just like Cologuard, a positive test results in a colonoscopy.

There is a lot of competition for Coloscopies as the "gold standard", for obvious reasons.

In gold-standard trial, invitation to colonoscopy reduced cancer incidence but not death

“This study provides clear data that it’s not as simple as saying, ‘Colonoscopy is the most sensitive test, and therefore it is the best.’ It still prevented cancers.”

www.statnews.com

A seldom mentioned downside of Coloscopies is how it screws up your gut biome, especially in older patients. However, it is a great opportunity to make a conscious effort to rebuild the biome after such an aggressive "cleanse".

My comments should NOT be interpreted as reasons to avoid colon cancer screening! Just a discussion on which strategies to consider.​

 

[brsnow]

From what I understand, Cologuard has fairly low false negative rates, especially when you consider that Medicare and insurance will pay for it more often than a colonoscopy. "The false positive" rate is debatable because it can find cancer before it is apparent on a colonoscopy. Timing is everything.

Another less expensive option is an annual FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test), which some studies show it is as effective as a 5-10 year colonoscopy. Just like Cologuard, a positive test results in a colonoscopy.

There is a lot of competition for Coloscopies as the "gold standard", for obvious reasons.

In gold-standard trial, invitation to colonoscopy reduced cancer incidence but not death

“This study provides clear data that it’s not as simple as saying, ‘Colonoscopy is the most sensitive test, and therefore it is the best.’ It still prevented cancers.”

www.statnews.com

A seldom mentioned downside of Coloscopies is how it screws up your gut biome, especially in older patients. However, it is a great opportunity to make a conscious effort to rebuild the biome after such an aggressive "cleanse".

My comments should NOT be interpreted as reasons to avoid colon cancer screening! Just a discussion on which strategies to consider.​

It is an insurance game, if your test results suggest a colonoscopy it will be possibly billed as diagnostic, while before being covered as preventative. Worth checking with your provider

 

[Jeff Thomas]

The colonoscopy isn't bad, but during the liquid prep I always feel like the Space Shuttle coming off the launching pad....