Kate Middleton

[ZRod]

I wonder what threshholds they use for the tests. A false positive would be awful especially if there was no further/better test to do and you went through chemo. But a false negative would be worse than a false positive.

If you do the mail in tests (and they do their part like they didn't with Knap) and it's positive I think the next step is always to get checked officially by the doctor.

 

[knapplc]

If you do the mail in tests (and they do they're part like they didn't with Knap) and it's positive I think the next step is always to get checked officially by the doctor.

This is correct.

Per my Gastroenterologist, the PITB test will result in a positive if you have polyps - which most people do. Only problem is, if you test positive and you need a colonoscopy, many insurance carriers will consider that a second test and won't cover it.

I know colonoscopies aren't fun. But honestly the worst of it is the prep, and that's only a couple of days. When they wheel you in for the procedure, the anesthetist tells you what they're going to do, they give you whatever it is they give you, and you are instantly gone. Then blink! Lights back on, everything's done, and you wait a few minutes for the results. The procedure itself is really easy.

 

[JJ Husker]

This is correct.

Per my Gastroenterologist, the PITB test will result in a positive if you have polyps - which most people do. Only problem is, if you test positive and you need a colonoscopy, many insurance carriers will consider that a second test and won't cover it.

I know colonoscopies aren't fun. But honestly the worst of it is the prep, and that's only a couple of days. When they wheel you in for the procedure, the anesthetist tells you what they're going to do, they give you whatever it is they give you, and you are instantly gone. Then blink! Lights back on, everything's done, and you wait a few minutes for the results. The procedure itself is really easy.

This is exactly right. The actual procedure is a piece of cake but the prep sort of sucks. One day of nothing but clear liquids, certain colors of jello are allowed. And the worst part…the stuff you have to drink, usually in uncomfortable quantities with a nasty flavor, that forces you to not be more than a few feet from a toilet.

I have to do one every two years because I have ulcerative colitis. The mail-in tests are useless for me. My personal feeling is the mail-in tests are only good until the first time they detect something. Then you may as well just do colonoscopies. I have multiple (4-10) polyps removed every time . This last time was the first time one of the six polyps biopsied was a little concerning, not cancerous but right on the verge. So I’m a little anxious to get to the next one and see what they may find.

Pro Tip- for the liquid only diet the day before, I buy a large container of pho broth and have some for lunch and supper. It tastes good, feels like you actually ate something and they always say my prep was excellent.

 

[Ulty]

This is helpful info @knapplc and @JJ Husker. I turn 45 this year (f*#k, just looked at a calendar, it's only a couple of weeks away, damn), and my doctor has already given me ample warning about the good times on the horizon.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

This is exactly right. The actual procedure is a piece of cake but the prep sort of sucks. One day of nothing but clear liquids, certain colors of jello are allowed. And the worst part…the stuff you have to drink, usually in uncomfortable quantities with a nasty flavor, that forces you to not be more than a few feet from a toilet.

I have to do one every two years because I have ulcerative colitis. The mail-in tests are useless for me. My personal feeling is the mail-in tests are only good until the first time they detect something. Then you may as well just do colonoscopies. I have multiple (4-10) polyps removed every time . This last time was the first time one of the six polyps biopsied was a little concerning, not cancerous but right on the verge. So I’m a little anxious to get to the next one and see what they may find.

Pro Tip- for the liquid only diet the day before, I buy a large container of pho broth and have some for lunch and supper. It tastes good, feels like you actually ate something and they always say my prep was excellent.

It should come as no surprise that mail-in tests are considerably cheaper than colonoscopies, and that's why some insurance carriers insist on it. My wife, and others, often with a little help from doctors have been able to advocate for the colonoscopy, which the insurer paid for, a bit grudgingly. Everyone agrees they are more accurate, so it's a money thing. 

 

[JJ Husker]

It should come as no surprise that mail-in tests are considerably cheaper than colonoscopies, and that's why some insurance carriers insist on it. My wife, and others, often with a little help from doctors have been able to advocate for the colonoscopy, which the insurer paid for, a bit grudgingly. Everyone agrees they are more accurate, so it's a money thing. 

I wish the mail-in tests would work for me but they are a virtually guaranteed positive result for someone with ulcerative colitis….so basically useless in my situation.  Colonoscopy is a pain in the a$$ (pun intended, even though it doesn’t actually hurt with anesthesia) but they are the gold standard for accuracy and detection.

Another Pro Tip- Make sure your doctor codes it as a cancer screening and nothing else. Marketplace insurance has to fully cover it for free. I had one coded as diagnostic and it cost me about $6500. You’ll still have to cover the lab work etc. but it will save you the majority share.