Is the Multitarget Stool DNA Test Just a Better “FIT” for Colorectal Cancer Screening?

Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Here is a link to the article.

Regenstrief Institute authors: Tom Imperiale, M.D.

This editorial examines whether the multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test is truly more effective than fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) for colorectal cancer screening or just more complex and costly. While lowering the FIT threshold can improve sensitivity, mt-sDNA still outperforms FIT even at comparable specificity levels. Differences in study methods—such as comparing separate cohorts or using different FIT brands—may explain conflicting results. The authors emphasize the need for direct, same-sample comparisons to accurately assess test performance.

Authors

Thomas F. Imperiale, M.D.^1,2,3,4

Author Affiliations

¹Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis

²Center for Health Information Communication, Health Services Research and Development, the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

³Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana

⁴Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana