There are two stool (ie, poop) tests commonly used to look for colon cancer. One is called a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and the other is a multitarget stool DNA test.

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How they work:

• FIT—tests your poop for microscopic amounts of blood.
• Multitarget stool DNA test—tests your poop for microscopic amounts of blood and DNA changes.

Steps for both tests:

1. You receive a stool test kit from a lab or in the mail. The kit has a stool container, plastic stick to sample the poop, and collection tube.
2. At home, you collect a sample of poop in the container.
3. Using the stick, you scrape the poop and then place the stick into the collection tube.
4. You return the stool test kit to the lab in person or through the mail.

How often you do the tests:

• FIT—repeat every year.
• Multitarget stool DNA test—repeat every 3 years.
• If the FIT or multitarget stool DNA test comes back positive (ie, detects blood and/or DNA changes in the poop), you'll need to do a follow-up colonoscopy to confirm the results.

Risks: There are no physical risks from doing a stool test.