FIT + stool DNA: why combine them?

Bowel cancers and some precancerous growths can leave traces in stool in two different ways. ColoAlert® looks for both.

Illustration of a DNA double helix beside a cell

Signal 1: hidden blood (FIT)

A faecal immunochemical test (FIT) detects tiny amounts of human blood in stool that you can't see. Tumours and some polyps can bleed, often intermittently.

FIT is the test used in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Because bleeding can come and go, a single FIT can miss lesions that weren't bleeding at the time of sampling.

Signal 2: stool DNA (PCR)

Cells from the bowel lining are shed into stool continuously. When those cells carry tumour-associated DNA changes, they can be picked up using PCR-based molecular analysis.

Because this signal doesn't depend on bleeding, it adds a second, independent line of evidence to the FIT result.

How it compares

A general overview of common bowel screening options. Your GP can advise on what's right for you.

	FIT only	ColoAlert® (FIT + stool DNA)	Colonoscopy
Where	At home	At home	Hospital or clinic
Bowel prep	None	None	Required
What it looks for	Hidden blood	Hidden blood + tumour-associated DNA markers	Direct view of the bowel lining
Invasive?	No	No	Yes (sedation often offered)
Role	Screening	Screening	Diagnosis and polyp removal

No screening test is 100% accurate. A positive screening result is usually followed up with colonoscopy.

Why early detection matters

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK. It is far more treatable when found early, and many cancers develop from polyps over several years, which gives screening a window to find changes before symptoms appear.

A healthy lifestyle lowers risk, but it doesn't remove it. Early changes often cause no symptoms, even in people who feel fit and well.

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