There are pros and cons to different screening types. While colonoscopy is the most effective screening exam for colorectal cancer, there are screening kits you can do from the comfort of your home.
The two tests below are the most widely used at-home screening kits. Both have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are valued for their ease of use and effectiveness. Remember that not all at-home kits are covered by insurance, so you may not be able to choose which test you want.
The fecal immune test (FIT) is used to detect blood in stool that cannot be seen with the naked eye. A FIT is often used to detect bleeding in the digestive tract which has no other signs or symptoms. A FIT test may not detect blood from further up the digestive tract (such as the stomach), which means it is more specific to finding blood coming from the colon.
Like FIT, the stool DNA Test detects microscopic amounts of blood in stool, but also looks for certain DNA changes and mutations found in cancerous tumors or precancerous polyps. Cells from precancerous and cancerous lesions with certain mutations often shed DNA biomarkers into the stool, where this test can detect them.
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance and more than 20 Screen Smart partners urge HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to protect USPSTF’s evidence-based process and no-cost preventive screenings like colorectal cancer screening, which save lives and improve national health.
After losing their sister Meredith to colorectal cancer, Kathryn and Abigail are turning grief into advocacy. Their powerful story highlights the urgent need for CRC awareness and action — especially among young adults who are facing rising rates of this disease.
The nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ending colorectal cancer has launched Preventable, a new public service announcement, in Spanish and English. Watch it now.