High Adherence Rates Seen for At-Home Colorectal Cancer Test Among Adults Aged 45–49
A real-world retrospective study of more than 1.1 million adults aged 45–49 years, published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, has shown high adherence to multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing for colorectal cancer (CRC), with nearly 70% completing the noninvasive test within 1 year of prescription.
“Recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening have been updated to include individuals aged 45-49 years, addressing recent increases in CRC rates among young adults,” the study authors noted. “The multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test is approved for average-risk individuals aged 45-49 years and is a non-invasive, at-home, stool-based option.”
The analysis included 1,126,523 average-risk individuals who had no prior mt-sDNA testing and received a test kit following a point-of-care prescription. Adherence was defined as the return of the kit with a valid test result within 1 year. Researchers evaluated adherence across demographics, communication methods, provider types, and insurance coverage.
Among the total population, 68.9% of participants returned their test kit within the year. Adherence was highest among those prescribed the test by a gastroenterologist (75.5%) and among individuals with commercial insurance coverage (70.9%). Digital communication appeared to play a significant role in encouraging follow-through: 62.2% of participants received text-message reminders only, and those who received no digital outreach had the lowest adherence (54.9%).
A logistic regression model identified digital communication and insurance type as the strongest predictors of screening adherence. The findings suggest targeted communication strategies may enhance screening participation in younger adults.
“In this large real-world study, 68.9% of individuals aged 45-49 years returned an mt-sDNA CRC screening test within 1 year,” the authors concluded. “Increasing digital communication may improve mt-sDNA screening adherence.”
Reference
Greene M, Camardo M, Ozbay AB, Dore M, Fendrick AM, Limburg P. Adherence to multi-target stool DNA testing in individuals aged 45-49 years with average risk for colorectal cancer. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. Published online June 26, 2025. doi:10.14309/ctg.0000000000000878
