Stool, BM, feces, poop or number No. 2. There are lots of different names for something everybody does – but no one likes to talk about.

When it comes to screening for colorectal cancer, there's no avoiding the conversation. But did you know there are take home kits available to screen your bowel movements for colorectal cancer?  Provided by your doctor and completed in the privacy of our own home, these tests are quick, simple, inexpensive and typically recommended to be done once a year after age 50.

Because it's an uncomfortable topic, some people are embarrassed to ask the doctor about the test, or are hesitant because they are unsure what the test will be like. Others feel uncomfortable asking how to collect the stool specimen, or are squeamish about the process.Here's the "poop" about stool testing:

There are three kinds of stool tests:

• Fecal occult blood test (also called FOBT) – a small smear of stool is put on a special card and sent to a lab. In the lab, chemicals to find blood that can't be seen are applied to the stool on the card. Some simple diet and drug restrictions are followed just prior to be sure the results are accurate.
• Fecal immunochemical test (also called FIT or iFOBT) – done much the same way as the FOBT, it's a newer kind of test that also detects blood in the stool. It's easier than the FOBT because there are no diet or drug restrictions.
• Stool DNA test (also called sDNA) – instead of blood, this test looks for abnormal DNA from cancer or polyp cells. This test requires an entire stool sample taken using a special container, which is shipped with an ice pack to a lab within 24 hours.

How to collect the sample:

• Gather  all of your supplies  in the bathroom —  test kit, test cards, instructions, a waste bag, gloves, etc. (Kits from the doctor will come with everything needed to get a stool sample.)
• Catch the stool on plastic wrap that is loosely placed over the toilet bowl and under the seat. Transfer the stool to a clean container, then use the wooden applicator provided to smear a film of the stool on to the test card.
• Some test kits may provide a special toilet paper used to collect the sample and transfer it to a clean container.
• Flush the unused stool, discard the plastic wrap and wash your hands. That's it – you're done!

The bottom line (pun intended):

Everybody poops. Don't be afraid to have a conversation with your physician to learn if stool testing is right for you. If you've already been tested, talk to your family and friends. Sharing the facts about how easy testing is may encourage them to have a conversation with their doctor.

Stool tests can be used to screen for colorectal cancer, but not to diagnose it. People with abnormal test results may have further colon cancer screening tests like a colonoscopy.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Get the facts and learn more about these lifesaving tests by visiting:

National Cancer Institute – Colorectal Cancer Screening Fact Sheet

Michigan Cancer Consortium – Your Colon & You (Jo-Jo's Colonoscopy) video

The American Cancer Society – Get Past the Yuck to Help Save Lives