Colorectal Cancer Screening During COVID-19: FIT testing as the Suggested Solution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65539/xngqed14Keywords:
colorectal cancer, cancer screening, COVID-19, FIT testing, health disparities, preventive medicineAbstract
In March 2020, healthcare in the United States changed, with primary care and preventative care, particularly colorectal cancer screening, grinding to a halt. COVID-19 brought to the forefront the racial healthcare disparities in the United States with the pandemic disproportionately affecting minority communities, reflecting the well-established disparities in colorectal cancer outcomes which are expected to be exacerbated by the lack of screening. This article aims to promote the use of FIT testing for colorectal cancer screening during this pandemic particularly for minority communities. Studies have shown that FIT tests have a high sensitivity and specificity, are inexpensive, and have better adherence than colonoscopies.
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