{"id":983267,"date":"2026-08-05T23:03:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T23:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/983267\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T23:03:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T23:03:17","slug":"colon-cancer-deaths-dropped-by-half-for-people-who-did-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/983267\/","title":{"rendered":"Colon cancer deaths dropped by half for people who did this"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colonoscopies are the top-recommended screening for colorectal cancer, which is is the second most common<\/a> cause of cancer deaths in men and women. In adults aged 50-64, rates are climbing.<\/p>\n

Yet some people avoid their screenings due to fear, inconvenience or discomfort \u2014 and not even from the rectal camera. (The pre-procedure laxative solution<\/a> meant to flush the bowels out is infamous.)<\/p>\n

But a new study<\/a> out of Spain found that a non-invasive test \u2014 that can be done entirely at home \u2014 can also seriously save lives from colon cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s extremely easy for patients. It\u2019s non-invasive, and it\u2019s quick and simple,\u201d Dr. Alexis Grucela<\/a>, a colorectal surgeon at Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital, told The Post.<\/p>\n

FITs can help detect cancer early, preventing death, a new study suggests.<\/p>\n

This study looked at people age 50 to 69 who participated in a 21-year program. During that time, every two years, they did an fecal immunochemical test, or FIT.<\/p>\n

No prep is needed for an FIT. There\u2019s no disruption to drinking, eating or meds normally taken. Simply order a kit and collect a stool sample at home, then return the container for lab testing,\u00a0often by mail.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the study, deaths among adults aged 50 to 69 who completed the program dropped by 50%.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows that once everybody started utilizing the testing, it could have an impact,\u201d Grucela said. Researchers examined data from 2.2 million people. \u201cThis is a pretty impactful study because it\u2019s such a large population that was studied.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between FITs and other at-home tests?<\/p>\n

An FIT, sometimes called a fecal blood test, looks for blood in the stool, a sign of colon cancer.<\/p>\n

Grucela says \u201cit\u2019s a lot less costly\u201d than multitarget stool DNA tests, like Cologuard, which find DNA in the stool.<\/p>\n

FITs \u201cdoesn\u2019t require insurance approval or authorization. It\u2019s more ubiquitous, and it could be used at any time by any provider,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another test, gFOBT, that detects blood in stool, but requires a bit more prep. Certain foods and medicines must be avoided, and the test is a bit longer \u2014 samples from three bowel movements in a row are required.<\/p>\n

An FIT test can be mailed back to the lab for testing. Julia \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The FIT finds cancer and polyps or advanced adenomas better than the gFOBT, according to Mayo Clinic<\/a>. An FIT is also less likely to deliver a false positive compared to the other two tests.<\/p>\n

That said, the DNA test finds advanced lesions better than the other tests and is recommended every three years. The other tests are recommended every year.<\/p>\n

Anyone can order an FIT \u2014 primary care doctors, nurses, and physician assistants \u2014 but you can also order one directly through lab services without a doctor\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n

Plus, no fasting, no laxatives, no going under anesthesia, which are typical of a colonoscopy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, it\u2019s something that all healthcare providers could utilize and encourage patients to do,\u201d Grucela said. \u201cit\u2019s easier to use, it\u2019s easier to perform, more providers can utilize it, and it\u2019s easy for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colonoscopies require patients to avoid solid foods and take laxatives. Getty Images<\/p>\n

FIT isn\u2019t a replacement for a colonoscopy<\/p>\n

Without insurance, colonoscopies require specialized doctors and can cost thousands of dollars<\/a>. An FIT costs less than $100 out of pocket.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not a one-to-one swap. Patients might utilize an FIT to find cancer early. If the FIT comes back positive, they\u2019d have to get a colonoscopy.<\/p>\n

A colonoscopy has multiple functions: it can cut out precancerous polyps and prevent cancer, but also can biopsy a suspicious mass to see if it\u2019s cancerous. In contrast, an FIT is a screening only, and cannot confirm a patient has cancer.<\/p>\n

Plus, not everyone is a good fit for FITs.<\/a> If you have symptoms of colon cancer \u2014 like abdominal pain or a change in bowel habits \u2014 or a risk of colon cancer because of family history, a colonoscopy is best.<\/p>\n

The value of an FIT, Grucela says, is providing an affordable, readily accessible option for people who can\u2019t access a colonoscopy, or are between colonoscopies, which is recommended every 10 years for average risk adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny screening is impactful and helpful,\u201d Grucela said. \u201cScreening works, and it helps prevent death from colorectal cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Colonoscopies are the top-recommended screening for colorectal cancer, which is is the second most common cause of cancer…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":983268,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[11],"tags":[235,5515,6335,210,94789,16978,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-983267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-cancer","tag-colorectal-cancer","tag-exclusive","tag-health","tag-screenings","tag-study-says","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117045402548319998","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/983268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}