An older adult screened for colorectal cancer had a normal colonoscopy after a positive screen. This indicates a:

A positive screening result for colorectal cancer followed by a normal colonoscopy indicates that the initial screening incorrectly suggested the presence of cancer. This scenario illustrates a false positive, where the screening test showed a positive result, but subsequent confirmatory testing (in this case, the colonoscopy) did not reveal any cancer.

In this context, it is essential to understand that the purpose of screening tests is to identify individuals who may have a disease. A false positive occurs when the screening test indicates a disease is present when it is not, as is the case here.

The other options reflect different interpretations of test outcomes. A true positive would imply that the screening correctly identified a case of cancer, which is not the case here. A true negative would suggest both the screening and the follow-up confirmed the absence of disease, and a false negative would mean that the screening missed an actual case of cancer. Therefore, in this situation, the only accurate description of the scenario is a false positive result.