Screening for CRC with fecal occult blood testing (using a guaiac-based test) done annually or biennially has been shown to decrease mortality 15-33% primarily through detection of early stage cancer. Guaiac fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT) has a known positive balance of benefit and risk in screening populations, is the least expensive, and is the preferred method of screening in 30-55% of patients. The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) offers significant improvements over the gFOBT, most notably that it is easier to use (requires fewer samples and no dietary or medication restrictions) and is more sensitive than the gFOBT with respect to detecting both CRC and precancerous adenomas. As a result of improved test performance and usability, in 2008 multiple professional societies endorsed the use of four types of FITs for colorectal cancer screening. Kaiser Permanente currently uses the OC-Micro FIT as the fecal screening test in all regions.