Colon cancer rates are rising. Conducting an employee benefit check can help catch it early

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Colorectal cancer It is officially the leading cause of death among younger men, according to a January report from the American Cancer Society. It is also the second leading cause of cancer in women under the age of 50, after breast cancer. In fact, more than 10% of new colorectal cancer cases now occur in people younger than 50 years.

The most effective way to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer is routine screening, for example Colonoscopy, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends at age 45. These tests can find and remove precancerous polyps and detect cancer early, when treatment is most effective. (Approximately 88% of adults are diagnosed with colorectal cancer at an early stage He lives for five years or more, compared to only 16% of those diagnosed with late-stage cancer).

Screenings are also beneficial to employers, who bear a large portion of the medical costs associated with cancer treatment: Cancer became the number one driver of health care costs for major companies last year, according to a 2023 survey published by the Business Group on Health, a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of large employers in health care policy. More than 13% of employers saw more late-stage cancer cases. The high incidence of colorectal cancer is particularly concerning, as it ranks second in cost of treatment compared to any type of cancer.

Thanks to provisions of the Affordable Care Act, most employer health plans cover age-specific screening tests and medical screenings for cancer. But because appointments can be difficult to get, well, no one Wants Colonoscopy, many people do not benefit from the benefit.

The test is done at home

Late last year, a health technology company based in Burlingame, California Color correctness (formerly known as Color Genomics) has offered employees — and employers — a lifeline. Working alongside the American Cancer Society, it launched a cancer screening program as a new workplace benefit that is easy for employees to use and complements existing workplace health plans.

Employees who sign up for the program provide information about key risk factors — family history and smoking habits — which helps determine their individual testing recommendations. “Nearly three-quarters of people have risk factors that deviate from the norm,” says Ousmane Laraki, co-founder and CEO of Color Health. “But most people don’t get risk-adjusted guidance from their primary care providers.”

If Collor determines that the information puts the employee at higher risk, he offers next-generation DNA sequencing — from a mailed saliva sample — to identify “highly actionable and clinically valid” genetic markers associated with common adult-onset genetic disorders and drug response. This test, which costs a flat fee of $250, is not disease-specific, but it can identify, for example, BRCA gene mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and that require extra vigilance in screening.

Color then delivers the appropriate ACS-recommended screening kits to the employee’s home. These typically include a urine DNA test for HPV (the leading cause of cervical cancer in women), a PSA blood test for prostate cancer in men, and FIT stool test for colorectal cancer. The samples are then mailed back for analysis. For people at average risk, several studies show that these home combination tests are as effective as testing in a doctor’s office or more invasive tests. “The best screening is the one that is completed,” says Alicia Chu, Color’s chief science officer. Color can also help schedule recommended personal screenings, such as mammograms or colonoscopies.

“When someone has a FIT test, there is a 5% to 10% chance that they will get an abnormal result that requires further testing. And about 40% of people who get these results never get any documented clinical follow-up. It’s a huge missed opportunity.” (More than 96% of people with an abnormal FIT result will not get cancer, but a 2022 study found that people with a positive FIT result who do not have a positive FIT result.) Follow-up colonoscopy They are twice as likely to die as those who die.)

Companies pay an average of $150 per year per employee who uses Color’s software, including testing and follow-up, plus any fees for genetic testing. This is less than the cost of traditional fee-for-service models, according to the company. That’s “about half the cost when people go through the traditional fee-for-service model,” Laraki says.

Unlike direct-to-consumer models, such as 23andMe’s basic health and pedigree service, which provide data that users must analyze themselves, Color operates as a telehealth provider, staffed by physicians and counselors licensed in 50 U.S. states, who interpret results and coordinate follow-up. Performs tests, makes referrals, and communicates with the patient’s primary care physician. (In November 2023, 23andMe launched a service that combines whole exome sequencing, laboratory blood tests, and a telehealth clinic, for $99 a month.)

Hasbro and Teamsters are early adopters

As a healthcare services provider, Color is Hepa– Covered entity This means that any data from the tests can only be used for health purposes, and cannot be shared with third parties. Although “there is the option of consenting to potential future research,” says Zhou. However, employers do gain access to aggregate data, such as the percentage of employees who complete specific steps in the program offering. “We will not share specific test results,” Collor’s attorney confirmed in an email.

This is not necessarily the case for other “wellness” benefits, including genetic testing, which are offered as a voluntary benefit to employees, outside of a workplace health plan. “The protections for these programs are much less clear, and the average employee is less likely to understand how their data is being used,” says Kate Black, a partner at Hintze Law in Miami, a data, AI and privacy firm. And security.

Color’s employer program launched in October, and early clients include toy maker Hasbro, Teamsters Health & Welfare Funds, Philadelphia retirement funds and Vicinity, which provides health benefits to 10,500 Teamsters and other union members and their dependents. Maria Schiller, director and CEO of Teamsters Funds, says it was forced to act after data revealed more than 3,300 claims of tumors (abnormal growth of tissue that could be a tumour) in the first six months of 2023 among members, accounting for about 11 cases. . % of total claims.

“There were very low numbers when it came to preventive screening,” Schiller says. “Knowing our members as well as I know them, I knew that the way we were dealing with the problem was not appropriate. It was just a no-brainer.” [make screening available] In the privacy of their own homes.” And with better prevention, Schiller says, there will be savings — “and if you have savings, you can [further] Enhance benefits.”

“Today, most of the money allocated to cancer treatment is spent on treatment,” Laraque says. In fact, long-term survival for cancer was not improved. By far, the most effective thing is to detect these cancers early.

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