Scientists have developed a five-variable index to identify average-risk individuals for advanced colorectal neoplasia who could skip colonoscopy screening. A study of over 4,000 patients found that those at very low or low risk by the index had advanced neoplasia rates of 1.65-4.88%, compared to 22.3-24.9% for high risk patients. However, an editorialist cautions against using the tool for choosing screening tests until stronger evidence is available, as the study lacked sufficient sensitivity and alternative tests like sigmoidoscopy are not widely used in the U.S. The index may be useful for follow-up decisions after a negative screening.