fecal DNA


fecal DNA

Traces of nucleic acids found in the stool of people with colorectal cancers and polyps. Detection of DNA in stool has been proposed as an alternative to testing samples of stool for occult blood loss. Testing stool for traces of malignant DNA is a more sensitive screening test for intestinal cancer than screening stool samples for occult blood, but the test is expensive and is not as accurate a screening tool as colonoscopy. Synonym: stool DNA testingSee also: DNA