Stool-based DNA tests for colorectal cancer: clinical potential and early results.

Stool-based DNA testing is a promising new diagnostic tool with the potential to improve the overall effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening. Early clinical studies suggest that multi-target, DNA-based stool tests are capable of detecting both premalignant adenomas and cancers with high sensitivity and specificity. Screening compliance could be enhanced by the user-friendly features of stool-based DNA testing which include: the testing is noninvasive, requires no cathartic bowel preparation or diet or medication restrictions, and requires just a single specimen per screen. Large, multicenter, comparative studies addressing the performance of stool-based DNA testing in the general population will soon be completed and will promise to validate the readiness of this approach for widespread application.