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By Mayo Clinic staffThe stool DNA test that's currently available isn't approved by the FDA, but it may be prescribed by a doctor under special rules. You'll receive the stool DNA test kit for collecting and submitting your stool sample at your doctor's office or by mail if you order it online. The kit includes a container that attaches to the toilet. After you collect the stool sample, you either return the kit to your doctor or mail it to the lab. The test requires only one sample.
Various methods to improve the ease of stool collection and sampling are under evaluation. The stool DNA test may be repeated every two to five years, but additional research must be done to determine the optimal interval for testing. In addition, Medicare currently doesn't cover the test, but some private insurers do.
- Fletcher RH. Tests for screening for colorectal cancer: Stool tests, radiologic imaging and endoscopy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- Labianca R, et al. Screening and diagnosis for colorectal cancer: Present and future. Tumori. 2010;96:889.
- Levin B, et al. Screening and surveillance for the early detection of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, 2008: A joint guideline from the American Cancer Society, the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2008;158:130.
- Ahlquist DA. Next generation stool DNA testing: Expanding the scope. Gastroenterology. 2009;136:2068.
- Ahlquist DA. Molecular detection of colorectal neoplasia. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:2127.
- Lieberman D. Progress and challenges in colorectal cancer screening and surveillance. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:2115.
- Lansdorp-Vogelaar I, et al. Stool DNA testing to screen for colorectal cancer in the Medicare population: A cost-effectiveness analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010;153:368.
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