Stool tests, blood tests or colonoscopy: Which colorectal cancer screening method is right for you?

In this feature on The Straits Times, Dr Aaron Poh discusses how advances in blood testing are changing the conversation around colorectal cancer screening. Newer blood tests can look for fragments of tumour DNA in the bloodstream. That differs from a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), which looks for hidden blood in stool. Some stool tests also look for DNA changes, but they do so using a stool sample.

Blood tests can miss precancerous polyps. A colonoscopy lets doctors see the lining of the bowel and remove certain polyps during the procedure. The feature also explains how age and family history help guide when to start screening and which test to consider.

Read the full Straits Times feature below.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/stool-tests-blood-tests-colonoscopy-which-colorectal-cancer-screening-method-alpine-surgical