Stool DNA Testing: Not Yet Cost-Effective

Stool DNA testing is evolving as a potential screening test for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its cost is higher and its specificity is lower compared with other methods. Are there conditions under which stool DNA testing would be cost-effective?

To find out, researchers used two independent microsimulation models to compare stool DNA testing to other accepted CRC screening strategies. The analysis assumed a cost for the stool DNA test of US$350, based on the costs of commercially available tests.

Threshold analyses indicated that to be cost-effective, stool DNA testing would need to cost $34 to $51 if performed at 5-year intervals and $40 to $60 if performed at 3-year intervals, based on two different simulation models. Stool DNA testing…