At-home screening

    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.

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    Advantages of at-home screening

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    Disadvantages of at-home screening

    • Does not allow a doctor to actually see the inside of your colon, which is how most polyps and cancers are discovered
    • May miss tumors that bleed in a small amount or not at all
    • Positive or abnormal test results must be followed by a colonoscopy
    • Possible false positive results
    • Possible false negative results

    Types of at-home screening tests

    The tests below are at-home screening kits. They 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.

    FIT

    The fecal immunochemical 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.

    Stool DNA test (Cologuard)

    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.

    Stool RNA test (ColoSense)

    The stool RNA test kit combines the analysis of specific RNA biomarkers, which provide a dynamic view of cellular activity in the colon, with a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) that checks for hidden, occult blood in the stool. The sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis.

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