Screening for Colorectal Cancer with Stool Tests.

This article reviews the performance, limitations, and implementation challenges of stool-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Stool-based tests are becoming more essential in CRC screening due to their accessibility, affordability, and noninvasive nature. While screening performance varies among modalities, adherence to testing and timely follow-up remains the main barrier to effectiveness. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) offers a favorable balance of sensitivity, cost, and patient uptake. Newer DNA-based and RNA-based tests improve early-stage cancer detection but are costlier and marginally less specific. Optimizing adherence while balancing diagnostic yield, cost, and environmental impact is essential to advancing stool-based CRC screening.