A simple at-home test could cut colorectal cancer death risk by 43%
A long-term study from Sweden indicates that participating in colorectal cancer screening can reduce the risk of death from the disease by 43%. The study followed participants over 14 years, highlighting the effectiveness of at-home stool sample testing.
Why it matters
This research underscores the life-saving potential of routine, non-invasive cancer screenings in improving public health outcomes.
People who participate in colorectal cancer screening may face as much as a 43 percent lower risk of dying from the disease, according to new estimates published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Ume University in Sweden. The findings draw on as many as 14 years of follow-up data from the Stockholm-Gotland screening program.
Colorectal cancer is among the most common cancers, but outcomes are generally favorable when the disease is found early. Sweden has introduced universal screening, with people aged 60-74 offered testing every two years.
Participants receive a screening kit at home and are asked to provide a stool sample. The sample is checked for tiny amounts of blood that cannot be seen with the naked eye. If blood is found, additional testing is offered, most often a colonoscopy.
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