My primary suggested I do the collard at home test so I was at my usual range outing with a few friends and I asked if any had done this test. 4 of 6 had used the Colguard test and low and behold every one of them was recommended to get further screening. Is this just a scam to get you into a more invasive procedure or what’s the deal.

They text me like I owe them money so I was wondering if anyone has done it.

just did it again for the second time. dropped it off at ups on thursday.


first time was a few year ago and results were fine.

The advertising for it says false positive and negative results can occur. What are you supposed to do, take the best two out of three?

Cologuard may be accurate and show the presence of cancer cells . Note: May be accurate. People in my family have had false positives or even two separate tests showing different results.
I think about that test in this way. You’ll need to get a colonoscopy if the test is positive.
If you get a colonoscopy the Doctor can identify and remove any polyps that are precancerous and identify any that are possibly cancerous by sending the removed tissue for pathology.
Why mess around with cologuard?
This is only my opinion based on a family history of colon cancer. Out of four men in my immediate family, three have had colon surgery to remove cancer. I’m thankful that I haven’t had it. I get a colonoscopy every five years.

I did it as an easy way out of a colonoscopy. Got a positive result, and brushed it off as a false positive. Finally got a colonoscopy later, and had a decent sized pre cancerous polyp.

Little backstory. My sister found out she had colon cancer after a tumor ruptured while visiting me over Christmas 10 years ago. She was 46, and this does not run in our family. She beat it, but I saw up close what it was all about. Scared me so much, I was afraid to find out if I had it. Put it off for years because I was scared shitless I would wake up and would have been gutted like a fish. Long story short, I put on my big boy pants and got it done. What a weight being lifted just knowing.

Do it and hope it comes back negative. If it doesn’t, 9 times out of 10, there is a reason.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sig226fan, May 19, 2025 02:01 PM

I heard of all the false positives and false negatives, and if you get a positive you have to go for the colonoscopy anyway, my opinion is just get the colonoscopy, none of it is that bad, and the results are real.
My understanding is that cologuard detects the cancer markers after something has become cancerous, I would rather find polyps precancerous and start from there. Colon cancer is a slow progressing cancer, but I still want to know sooner rather than later.
My FIL passed from colon cancer and it was a horrible way to die...from a cancer that is most easy to treat when caught early and most deadly when caught late. As soon as I was age able(50 without a history in the family) my wife scheduled me for mine. I spent the night watching movies and going to the toilet, no big deal. The prep I got was like super sugary gatorade and while not good, was far from terrible. The procedure was extremely simple, go under,procedure, wake up, go home and sleep the rest of the day. I recommend every guy get it done. While it was kind of annoying, none of it was bad.

I did the Cologuard test recently and found that it came with excellent instructions and great packaging which made sending the samples back a breeze.

Thankfully, my test was not positive.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
They text me like I owe them money so I was wondering if anyone has done it.

I just sent mine in a couple of weeks ago and got a negative. But, yeah, they were really hounding me to send my sample in, even though it expired in a year.

quote:

Originally posted by FiveFiveSixFan:
I did the Cologuard test recently and found that it came with excellent instructions and great packaging which made sending the samples back a breeze.

Thankfully, my test was not positive.

That’s great. Assuming it wasn’t a false negative, how many polyps did it find? Oh… That’s right. Cologuard can’t find and remove polyps, It can only tell you after you’ve let them grow so large they’ve already become cancerous.

Yay, cologuard.

-Rob

How much an hour do they pay the guy who opens the boxes?

My dad put off having a colonoscopy for a long time, and when he finally did, he had colon cancer requiring surgery and a lengthy recovery. Just get a colonoscopy. They’re not that bad. Nothing like having ass cancer.

At 63 I tested positive with cologuard. Colonoscopy found 16 polyps, none cancerous.
I'm yearly for now. Two months past due, need to make another appointment.
Just get the colonoscopy, it's not that bad.

Wife did Cologuard. Came back positive. She freaked out. Had a colonoscopy. Turned out she had internal hemorrhoids. Get a colonoscopy. I’ve had four. Not that big of a deal.

With the current version of Cologuard, the chance of a false positive is about 8%. I'll take the 92% convenience of pooping in a pot and sending it in. I've done it 3 times and am about due for #4.

Snake oil!

I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw the box.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
Snake oil!

I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw the box.

Bob

Your signature line is appropriate here.

As someone who is involved with (typically) a dozen or so scopes/week, I can assure you that Cologuard tests are not "snake oil". I've seen them detect polyps countless times that otherwise would be either missed or not biopsied because they look like simple benign hyperplastic polyps. With specificities and sensitivities well into the 90s, it is a perfectly acceptable alternative to undergoing a scope...which is not without risk.

I had a Cologuard when I first hit the age of colonoscopy concern in my 50's. First one, no issues. When it was time for another one, it came back with "indications", so I had a colonoscopy. My colonoscopy was so clean that the doctor told me I was good for the next 7 years. So I was a victim of the false positive liability waiver. I was not that upset though, until I found out that my health plan covered the cost of the Cologuard but then I got a hefty bill for the colonoscopy. I was told that they cover the screening once per year and that the actual colonoscopy was a second screening and I had to pay almost $1600 for it out of pocket.

My primary physician did not recommend Cologuard. He didn't think it was sensitive enough or accurate enough.

All I know is that if you have ever had a colonoscopy you cannot use it.