Approximately one in three eligible Americans — 50 million people — are not up to date with recommended screenings for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Why it's important: Screening is critical for detecting CRC early, when it's most treatable.

🩺 Here's the deal: It's recommended that all eligible individuals start to be screened for CRC once they turn 45.

● Colonoscopy remains the most accurate method for CRC screening, but many people hesitate to complete one.

● A modern stool-based DNA test option became available a decade ago, but an alarming screening gap remains.

● People often avoid getting screened because they perceive the current options to be invasive, unpleasant or inconvenient.

The challenge: Screening rates have remained stagnant at about 59%, well below the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's goal of 80% for eligible individuals.

● Screening avoidance can be dangerous, as the symptoms of the disease often remain hidden until it's too late.

● Today, 75% of Americans who die from CRC are behind on their recommended screening.

CRC is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Okay, but: Early detection can have an enormous impact on survival rates.

• Colon cancer has a five-year survival rate of 91% if detected in early stages.
• The survival rate drops dramatically to 13% in late stages. This is when many adults are diagnosed.

💉 The solution: Recently a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee panel of experts strongly endorsed a new blood test that health care providers can offer to average-risk patients age 45 and older as a non-invasive primary option for CRC screening.

• Of the over 20,000 individuals who have been prescribed the blood test over the past two years, more than 90% completed it.
• Blood-based screening offers a convenient, noninvasive alternative that could motivate more patients to be screened and ultimately save more lives.
• While blood tests may have some limitations, physicians and scientists agree that perfect can't be the enemy of good when it comes to screening.

The impact: The stakes are high as the FDA considers the positive recommendation of its advisory committee and deliberates on whether to approve the new option that could significantly increase the number of people screened for CRC.

The takeaway: Closing the screening gap will help identify more CRC in its early stages when survival rates are higher.

● We can reduce the number of CRC deaths by making an FDA-approved blood test for CRC screening easily accessible.

🌟 The positive news: A group of health care professionals and advocates is urging policymakers to support this groundbreaking technology and give patients more screening options.

This group includes:

● Colorectal Cancer Alliance

● Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana

● First Ladies Health Initiative

● GI Cancer Alliance

● Raymond Foundation

● Blue Hat Foundation

● Alliance for Women's Health & Prevention

● Colon Cancer Stars

● Global Colon Cancer Association

● Man Up to Cancer

● Colon Cancer Coalition

● Paltown Development Foundation

● COLONTOWN

● One Cancer Place

Looking ahead: Together, health care professionals and policymakers can seize this opportunity to usher in a new era of CRC screening — one defined by accessibility, effectiveness and choice — and finally turn the tide against CRC.

Read the letter in full.