• by Tanya Gazdik , June 26, 2017

Molecular diagnostics company Exact Sciences has enlisted PGA golfer Jerry Kelly to promote colon cancer screening. 

Kelly will wear a Cologuard-branded hat for the next two years at tournaments around the country to help raise awareness of colon cancer and the importance of regular screening beginning at age 50 for individuals at average risk. The Madison, Wis.-based company and the golf both tweeted about the partnership last week.

A longtime presence on tour, Kelly, who turned 50 in November, has played in more than 600 tournaments, earning three wins, 91 top 10s and 194 top 25 finishes. Kelly currently ranks 31st on the PGA Tour all-time money list, with career earnings of more than $28.8 million.

Cologuard, which was approved by the FDA in August 2014, uses the DNA and blood protein found in a person's stool to detect biomarkers associated with colon cancer and precancerous growths. Once ordered by a doctor, a Cologuard box is delivered to a patient's home via UPS. The patient collects their sample at a convenient time and uses a prepaid shipping label to send the specimen to Exact Sciences' laboratories. Doctors receive test results within a few weeks.

Exact Sciences Corp. is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the early detection and prevention of the deadliest forms of cancer. The company has exclusive intellectual property protecting its non-invasive, molecular screening technology for the detection of colorectal cancer.