Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health concern in the United States, accounting for the second highest number of cancer-related deaths after lung and bronchus cancer. Individuals with CRC having spread to other parts of the body face a dismal prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of only 15%. However, early detection at a localized stage significantly improves the survival rate to 91%. Notably, African Americans are disproportionately affected by CRC, owing to lower compliance with screening measures. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation further, resulting in approximately 9.4 million missed cancer screenings and an additional 4,500 annual deaths in the United States. The aim of this work is to bring attention to this health discrepancy with the explicit goal of introducing the Epi proColon blood-based CRC screening test as a feasible alternative to the current standard of care to close the existing racial gap through increased compliance. For this reason, the United States Congress has already suggested Medicare coverage for the Epi proColon blood-based CRC screening test in several bills and resolutions.