Cologuard® Patient
Story: Becky
Screened with Cologuard
Each year after she turned 50, Becky told herself the same thing she was used to telling people every day: get screened for colon cancer.
Sharing this message isn’t just her job at a cancer center – it’s Becky’s passion. But when it came to her own colorectal cancer screening, “get screened” was easier said than done. Year after year, as she encouraged others to get screened, she stuck her own colorectal cancer screening to the side for the same reasons she had heard from others.
Becky was nervous. Years before, she watched her father and her husband battle cancer – losing them just weeks apart. With the constant reminder through her work of her own need to screen, her nerves were eventually quashed by a sense of obligation.
“I felt guilty telling others to get screened and then not doing it myself.”
Unwilling to put it off any longer, Becky took charge. She asked her healthcare provider about her screening options and together, they agreed Cologuard would be appropriate. At 59 and at average risk for colon cancer, she was thrilled she set her nerves aside and was going to get screened.
“This is what I talk to people about all the time. There’s no reason not to get screened.”
Becky didn’t waste any time to complete her kit. She thought it was easy to use right from home and received her negative result within only a few days.
She owed it to herself, her family and those she helps every day to get screened. And though she has a few years before she screens again, her work sharing the importance of screening is far from over.
The way Becky sees it, her story helps people like those she works with every day at the cancer center, people like her husband and her father who she took care of, and people who might need a little encouragement to get screened.
People just like her.
Cologuard is intended to screen adults 45 years of age and older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer by detecting certain DNA markers and blood in the stool. Do not use if you have had adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. Cologuard is not a replacement for colonoscopy in high risk patients. Cologuard performance in adults ages 45-49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. Cologuard performance in repeat testing has not been evaluated.
The Cologuard test result should be interpreted with caution. A positive test result does not confirm the presence of cancer. Patients with a positive test result should be referred for colonoscopy. A negative test result does not confirm the absence of cancer. Patients with a negative test result should discuss with their doctor when they need to be tested again. False positives and false negative results can occur. In a clinical study, 13% of people without cancer received a positive result (false positive) and 8% of people with cancer received a negative result (false negative). Rx only.
