What the future may hold
Dr. Carethers sees a future in which highly sensitive blood tests are able to largely replace screening colonoscopies. He said that colonoscopies would be used for people who are most in need of diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Carethers addressed these points during an AGA podcast released in January 2023.
In 20-25 years, colonoscopies may be only a therapeutic procedure, much like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is now, Dr. Carethers added.
Even if CRC-specific blood tests prove to be effective screening tools, Dr. Ransohoff stressed that colonoscopy will survive. Many people will eventually need to undergo colonoscopy as a diagnostic procedure following a positive blood-based test result, and some may also opt for screening colonoscopies in lieu of frequent blood tests.
And, overall, physicians and patients will need to weigh the trade-offs of a noninvasive test that can only diagnose CRC versus a screening colonoscopy that offers preventative treatment as well.
“The best intent for screening is prevention of cancer, not detection of cancer,” said Dr. Johnson.
Dr. Carethers, Dr. Johnson, and Dr. Ransohoff reporting having no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.
