A new life-cycle assessment compared the environmental impact of FIT, CT colonography and colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. FIT had by far the lowest footprint, generating 0.27 kgCO₂e per test versus 39.6 kgCO₂e for colonoscopy and 27.8 kgCO₂e for CT colonography when transportation was included.
The study found that transportation was the biggest driver of emissions for colonoscopy and CT colonography. Over a 10-year modeled period, FIT-based screening also produced fewer health-related harms, highlighting environmental impact as another consideration alongside cost, access and clinical effectiveness when evaluating CRC screening strategies.