Colorectal cancer kills approximately 50,000 Americans per year – more than breast cancer (41,000/year) and prostate cancer (26,000/year).  

Despite the fact that colon cancers can be stopped and prevented with early treatment, more than 35 million Americans age 50 and older are not current with screening guidelines.

Why? For many it’s because they don’t want to go through the physical preparation and invasiveness associated with the traditional screening method, a colonoscopy. That may be partly why approximately three out of 10 people in the United States aren't getting screened. This has to change, but it likely won’t until we change our approach.

Cologuard was created to help more people get screened.

From a stool sample, Cologuard detects 94 percent of curable stage cancers with a 13 percent false positive rate. Cologuard is a noninvasive screening test that’s not only accurate and reliable, but also easy for doctors to prescribe and patients to use.

Excitingly, Cologuard is increasingly accessible. Cologuard is covered by Medicare and by July 1, 2017 is on track to be incorporated into the medical policies of the nation’s five leading health insurers. When that occurs, more than 85 percent of insured Americans age 50 to 84 will be enrolled in insurance plans covering the test.

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and the American Cancer Society have set a goal to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80 percent of the eligible population by 2018.  Cologuard represents an opportunity to help us get there and we’re honored to be working alongside so many health insurance plans, doctors, health systems and patients who agree. 

To learn more about Cologuard and the many health insurers covering the test, please visit www.cologuardtest.com.

About Cologuard

Cologuard is indicated to screen adults of either sex, 50 years or older, who are at average risk for colorectal cancer. Cologuard is not for everyone and is not a replacement for diagnostic colonoscopy or surveillance colonoscopy in high-risk individuals. False positives and false negatives do occur. Any positive test result should be followed by a diagnostic colonoscopy. Following a negative result, patients should continue participating in a screening program at an interval and with a method appropriate for the individual patient. Cologuard performance when used for repeat testing has not been evaluated or established. Rx Only.