"Is it time for you to begin screening for colorectal cancer httpshealth.usnews.comhealthcarepatientadvicearticlesshouldyoubescreenedforcoloncancer Screening looks for signs of cancer in someone who doesnt have any symptoms. The idea is that by catching cancer early before it spreads httpshealth.usnews.comwellnessarticleswhatarethestagesofcoloncancer its easier to treat. Stool Screening Tests One way to look for signs of colorectal cancer httpshealth.usnews.comconditionscoloncancer is to see if there are microscopic amounts of blood in the stool using a highsensitivity fecal occult blood test or FOBT. Occult in this case means hidden. Its an indirect indicator the patient could be harboring polyps precancerous growths in the colon says Dr. Sreeram Maddipatla medical oncologisthematologist for the Liver Center and Pancreas Center at UF Health Cancer Center  Orlando Health. Although blood in the stool can mean theres a tumor or polyps it can also be a sign of something much less serious like hemorrhoids httpshealth.usnews.comhealthproductstoprechemorrhoidalpreparations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two types of fecal occult blood tests and one stool DNA test See  Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Colon Cancer httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewspatientadviceslideshowsquestionstoaskyourdoctoraboutcoloncancer. Guaiac FOBT. This was the first stool test for colorectal screening says Dr. Robin Mendelsohn a gastroenterologist httpshealth.usnews.comdoctorslocationindexgastroenterologists at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareanymemorialsloanketteringcancercenter. Mendelsohn says the concept for the guaiac FOBT originated from the idea that colon cancer bled into the colon and then into the stool. Guaiac FOBT detects heme  an iron compound in the blood that carries oxygen  in the stool. The guaiac FOBT is not specific to human heme Mendelsohn says so if you consume meat before the test it could affect the results. To do a guaiac FOBT youll use a kit to collect stool from three different bowel movements httpshealth.usnews.comwellnessslideshowswhattoeatdrinkanddotorelieveconstipation and send the samples to a lab for analysis. The need for three samples is due to the intermittent nature of bleeding from a tumor Mendelsohn says. If you choose this method of colorectal screening youll need to repeat the test yearly. When a guaiac FOBT is performed every one to two years in adults  to  years old it can reduce deaths from colorectal cancer by  to  percent according to the National Cancer Institute. Fecal immunochemical test or FIT. The FIT detects human hemoglobin Maddipatla says. It doesnt react to nonhuman blood so there are no dietary restrictions prior to the test. Maddipatla says this test is easier than the guaiac FOBT as it only requires one stool sample which must be mailed back to the lab right away for an accurate result. Although other conditions such as a lower gastrointestinal bleed can produce a positive result the FIT produces fewer false positives than the guaiac FOBT Maddipatla says and is almost equal to colonoscopy in reducing mortality from colorectal cancer. The FIT is approximately  percent sensitive for detecting cancer and  to  percent sensitive for detecting advanced polyps httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewspatientadvicearticleswhichcoloncancerscreeningtestisbest. The colonoscopy is still the gold standard Maddipatla says.   httpshealth.usnews.comhealthcarepatientadvicearticleswhattoexpectwhenyouhaveacolonoscopyWhat to Expect When You Have a Colonoscopy httpshealth.usnews.comhealthcarepatientadvicearticleswhattoexpectwhenyouhaveacolonoscopy Hint The preparation is worse than the procedure. Kathleen HallAug.   Unlike a colonoscopy  a visual examination of the full length of the colon and rectum  the guiaic FOBT and FIT only detect cancers or polyps. A colonoscopy can help prevent cancer by removing polyps before they have a chance to develop into a tumor. Many patients prefer the simplicity of stool testing to undergoing a colonoscopy. However if you have a positive result with either a guaiac FOBT or FIT you may have polyps or colon cancer and youll need to proceed with a diagnostic colonoscopy Mendelsohn says. Theres no point in doing stool tests if youre not willing to do a colonoscopy afterwards. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads https_sourceinreadutm_mediumcreditsutm_campaigninventedbyteads See  Options for People Who Dont Want a Colonoscopy httpshealth.usnews.comwellnessslideshowsoptionsforpeoplewhodontwantacolonoscopy. FITDNA. You may have seen advertisements for the Cologuard FITDNA test httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewspatientadvicearticlesmeetcologuardthecoloncancertestyoucantakeathome. According to the NCI Cologuard detects both tiny amounts of blood in the stool the FIT portion as well as nine biomarkers in three genes that have been found in colorectal cancer and advanced polyps. The NCI says for averagerisk adults who didnt have symptoms the FITDNA test detected more cancers and adenomas advanced polyps than the FIT but had more false positives. Mendelsohn says there are no longterm studies on FITDNA so doctors arent sure how frequently patients should undergo it. Medicare reimburses for the test every three years she says and depending on the manufacturer the guidelines recommend repeating the test every one to three years. Mendelsohn says she is uncomfortable with the rate of false positives which is about  to  percent. As with the guiaic FOBT and the FIT a positive result means you still need to undergo a colonoscopy. See  Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldnt Ignore httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewspatientadviceslideshowsseeminglyinnocentsymptomsyoushouldntignore. The Bottom Line Adults at average risk for colorectal cancer httpshealth.usnews.comwellnessarticleswhataretheriskfactorsforcoloncancer should begin colorectal screening at age . Talk to your doctor about which test is right for you. The Affordable Care Act and Medicare httpshealth.usnews.commedicare cover screening for colorectal cancer. Check with your insurer about which tests are covered and what your outofpocket costs might be. What I tell patients is the best test for colorectal cancer is the one that gets done Mendelsohn says. My personal feeling is the colonoscopy is the test of choice for detecting and preventing colorectal cancer. If a patient wishes to undergo a stool test they have to be willing to proceed with a colonoscopy if they have a positive result. Of the stool tests she recommends the FIT. Its simpler and more sensitive. Best Hospitals for Cancer Rank Hospital Name Location       University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareatxuniversityoftexasmdandersoncancercenterHouston TX    Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareanymemorialsloanketteringcancercenterNew York NY    Mayo Clinic httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareamnmayoclinicRochester MN    DanaFarber Cancer Institute httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareamadanafarbercancerinstituteBoston MA    Brigham and Womens Hospital httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareamabrighamandwomenshospitalBoston MA    Seattle Cancer Care Alliance httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareawaseattlecancercareallianceSeattle WA    University of Washington Medical Center httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareawauniversityofwashingtonmedicalcenterSeattle WA    Johns Hopkins Hospital httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareamdjohnshopkinshospitalBaltimore MD    Hospitals of the University of PennsylvaniaPenn Presbyterian httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareapahospitaloftheuniversityofpennsylvaniaPhiladelphia PA    Cleveland Clinic httpshealth.usnews.combesthospitalsareaohclevelandclinicCleveland OH   Hospital Ranking information as of May th  Kathleen Hall https Contributor Kathleen Hall httpmarathonmarketingva.comseemywork is a freelance Health reporter at U.S. News. Shes a writer and marketing communi...  Read more Tags patients https patient advice https colon cancer https cancer https medical screening https_screening"