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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffThe stool DNA test is a new screening approach for the detection of colon cancer. One stool DNA test is currently available, but it has not been certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Next-generation stool DNA tests are being developed and still require full clinical validation. Screening for colon cancer using stool DNA testing has been endorsed by the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer and the American College of Radiology, but not by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Here's how the stool DNA test is designed to work. The lining of the colon continually sheds cells, which leave the body through stool. Cells from the surface of precancerous polyps and cancerous tumors show recognizable DNA changes (DNA markers). A stool DNA test can identify several of these markers, indicating the presence of precancerous polyps or colon cancer.
Because DNA changes may differ between colon cancers, stool DNA tests typically target multiple markers to achieve high detection rates. Also, because DNA markers may be present in only trace quantities in stool, very sensitive laboratory methods are required. In multicenter studies, stool DNA tests have been shown to be no more effective than fecal occult blood tests at detecting colon cancer and precancerous polyps.
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