Findings from a Second Round of Stool DNA Screening for Colorectal Cancer

A multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test was FDA-approved for colorectal cancer screening in 2014 and is among the screening tests endorsed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (NEJM JW Gen Med Jun 15 2021 and JAMA 2021; 325:1865). The commercially available product (Cologuard) includes both a mt-sDNA test and a fecal immunochemical test (FIT). In a 10,000-person study, this product was significantly more sensitive — but less specific — than FIT alone for detecting colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous lesions (NEJM JW Gen Med May 1 2014 and N Engl J Med 2014; 370:1287).

Now a decade later, some patients have had repeated mt-sDNA screening. To examine the yield of a second round of testing, Mayo Clinic researchers identified ≈2700 …