Stool Dna Testing For Colorectal Cancer Screening

Like the fecal occult blood test the stool dna test detects microscopic amounts of blood in stool but it also looks for certain dna changes and mutations found in cancerous tumors or precancerous polyps.

Stool dna testing for colorectal cancer screening.

The guaiac based fecal occult blood test gfobt uses the chemical guaiac to detect blood in the stool. If a stool dna test detects abnormal dna additional testing may be used to investigate the cause such as a colonoscopy to examine the inside of the colon. Several screening tests can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer. Stool tests like these need to be done every year.

It looks for certain dna or gene changes that often get into the stool and are sometimes found in pre cancerous growths and cancer cells. It also checks for blood in the stool which can be a sign of cancer. The task force outlines the following colorectal cancer screening strategies. A stool dna test also known as a multitargeted stool dna test mt sdna or fit dna looks for certain abnormal sections of dna from cancer or polyp cells and also for occult hidden blood.

The stool dna test is a relatively new approach for colon cancer screening. Colorectal cancer or polyp cells often have dna mutations changes in certain genes. Talk to your doctor about which test is right for you. Stool dna testing is another type of non invasive test to check for colorectal cancer.

Rates of new colorectal cancer cases are decreasing among adults aged 50 years or older due to an increase in screening and to changes in some risk factors for example a decline in smoking however incidence is increasing among younger adults 1 3 for reasons that are not known. We compared a noninvasive multitarget stool dna test with a fecal immunochemical test fit in persons at average risk for colorectal cancer. The stool dna test looks for abnormal dna associated with colon cancer or colon polyps. The dna test includes quantitative molecular assays for kras mutations aberrant ndrg4 and bmp3 methylation and β actin plus a.

The evidence supporting mt sdna for routine screening use is robust. The test also detects hidden blood in the stool which can indicate the presence of cancer. In the united states colorectal cancer is most common in adults aged 65 to 74. Colorectal cancer arises from accumulated genetic and epigenetic alterations which provide a basis for the analysis of stool to identify tumor specific changes.

The clinical efficacy of mt sdna every three years measured by life years gained and crc deaths averted is similar to that of other screening. 9 large scale screening studies of.