Types of Screenings
Your primary care doctor will help you determine which tests you may need based on your health history, family history, age and other factors.
Stool Tests
- Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and fecal occult blood test (FOBT) – Check a stool sample for blood
- Multi-targeted stool DNA test – Checks a stool sample for blood and genetic mutations linked to cancer
Imaging Exams
- Barium enema – Fills the colon (large intestine) with a liquid that shows up on an X-ray camera so a doctor can look for unusual tissue
- CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) – Uses computed tomography (CT) imaging to look at the bowels
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy – Inserts a thin tube with a light and camera into only the lower part of your colon to look for polyps (lumps) that could be cancerous
- Colonoscopy – Inserts a thin tube with a light and camera into the entire colon to look for polyps that could be cancerous