A recent study published in Radiology revealed that CT colonography is a more cost-effective and clinically efficient option for colorectal cancer screening compared to stool DNA testing.

Colorectal cancer ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Recent trends show an increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses among younger individuals, prompting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and various medical societies to recommend screening starting at age 45.

Dr. Perry J. Pickhardt, the John R. Cameron professor of radiology and medical physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, highlighted that conventional colonoscopy remains the most commonly used screening test in the U.S. despite being the most expensive and invasive option.

While optical colonoscopy is preferred for its ability to prevent cancer by removing precancerous polyps, recent expansions in Medicare coverage have made less invasive and more affordable screening methods more accessible.

Medicare now covers both multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing and CT colonography as screening procedures. Dr. Pickhardt emphasized that both methods are safer and less invasive, prompting a study to compare their clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness.