Exact Sciences Corp. says the company has reached a pivotal milestone after screening more than 2 million Americans for colorectal cancer since the company first released its at-home screening option, Cologuard, less than five years ago.
The Madison-based molecular diagnostics company says 1 million of those screenings occurred in the last year. Nearly half of the 2 million individuals tested had previously never received colorectal screenings, the company added.
“Cologuard is changing how Americans get screened for colorectal cancer and, importantly helping many people do so for the first time," says Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences. “Reaching this milestone, just a year after the first million Colorguard, means more patients and healthcare providers are empowered by early detection when colorectal cancer is more treatable.”
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among both men and women, according to the CDC. With early detection, the disease is known as one of the most preventable forms of cancer, yet one in three Americans age 50 and older have not completed the recommended screening. Just 14 percent of patients with cancer detected in Stage IV survive more than five years.
Exact Sciences developed the Cologuard screening test with the Mayo Clinic. The test allows users to collect a stool sample from the privacy of their home, and ship the sample to a lab for testing. The test, approved by the FDA in 2014, detects altered DNA strands and blood in stool samples to indicate the presence of cancer.
Exact Sciences estimates Cologuard screenings may have helped to detect as many as 9,400 early-stage cancers and about 64,000 pre-cancerous polyps.
More than 150,000 healthcare providers have ordered Cologuard, the company says.
“With the support of our 24/7 customer care team, the number of people being screened for colorectal cancer is increasing,” says Mark Stenhouse, president of Cologuard. “In 2019, we are focused on accelerating this momentum with the addition of a second lab and growing workforce, our partnerships with Pfizer and Epic, and an ongoing commitment to providing excellent customer care.”
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Exact Sciences is focused on raising colorectal cancer awareness and the importance of early detection screening, including during the 2019 PGA TOUR Champions Cologuard Classic, taking place now through March 3. The funds raised during the event will be used in part to support colorectal cancer research, the company says.
