Screening with Liquid Biopsies to Address Colorectal Cancer Inequities

Cancer Equities, Prevention and Diagnostic Tools

Samir Gupta, MD (UCSD)

Job Godino, PhD (Family Health Center of San Diego)

Colon cancer is a common cancer. Screening with a stool test or a colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer death, but many people, especially from some racial and ethnic and lower income groups, are not ready to complete these tests. A new blood test screening option might help people who are not getting screened participate and benefit from screening. This research will look at whether offering choice of a new blood test, in addition to a stool test or colonoscopy, can increase the number of people who complete screening. This study will help guide the medical field on whether the new blood test should be made more widely available as an option for colon cancer screening, and its potential to address inequities in colon cancer screening.

“Populations experiencing the greatest inequities in cancer outcomes are often the last to benefit from medical advances. While a new FDA approved blood test for colorectal cancer screening has the potential to address inequities in colorectal cancer screening outcomes, no studies have examined its potential to increase participation. Curebound funding will support one of the first studies to evaluate whether offering the new blood tests as a screening option increases participation among individuals at risk for sociodemographic inequities in screening and will help provide guideline and policy makers information on how the test can be used to address sociodemographic inequities in colorectal cancer outcomes.” -- Samir Gupta, MD