Feces

What Feces Means in Everyday Medical Language

Feces, also called stool, is the waste material your body passes during a bowel movement. It consists of undigested food, bacteria, mucus, and cells shed from the lining of your intestines. Stool is what remains after your digestive system absorbs nutrients and fluids from the food you eat. Everyone produces feces regularly, but the amount, color, and consistency can vary widely from person to person.

Why Feces and Stool Testing Matter in Cancer Care

In cancer care, stool is important because certain colorectal conditions, including polyps and cancers, can cause bleeding. This bleeding may be very small and not visible to the naked eye. Stool tests can detect this hidden or occult blood, which can be an early sign of colorectal cancer or other conditions like hemorrhoids. Detecting blood early through stool testing helps doctors find cancer sooner when it may be easier to treat.

There are also newer tests that look for specific molecules linked to colorectal cancer cells. For example, the Epi proColon 2.0 blood test detects a marker called methylated SEPT9, which cancer cells release into the bloodstream. This test is FDA-approved for adults 50 years or older who have not completed other colorectal cancer screenings. Stool and blood tests are part of a range of screening options to help find colorectal cancer early.

What Patients Might See or Experience Related to Feces

Patients may be asked to collect stool samples at home using a kit for testing. This involves following instructions to collect small amounts of stool and sending the samples to a lab. Sometimes, stool samples are collected during a doctor’s exam, but this alone is not enough for proper cancer screening.

Changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, pain, or bleeding during bowel movements, are important to report to your healthcare team. These changes can be side effects of cancer treatment or signs of other health issues. Understanding terms like stool, feces, bowel movement, and occult blood can help you communicate clearly with your care providers.

Where You Might See the Term Feces

The term feces or stool may appear in medical reports, test results, treatment plans, or educational materials about colorectal cancer screening. Stool tests like the guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) are commonly used screening tools. Blood tests for colorectal cancer markers may also be mentioned in screening discussions. Knowing what feces means helps you understand these materials and ask informed questions.

Common Confusions and What Feces Does Not Automatically Mean

Feces simply refers to the waste passed from the intestines and does not by itself mean there is cancer or disease. Hidden blood in stool can come from non-cancer causes such as hemorrhoids or inflammation. Also, collecting stool during a digital rectal exam (DRE) is not enough for colorectal cancer screening. It’s important not to overinterpret the presence of feces or stool in a report without context from your healthcare team.

How to Use This Information and Next Steps

This information is meant to help you understand what feces are and why stool testing matters in colorectal cancer screening. If you see the term in your medical records or hear it from your care team, ask them what it means for your specific situation. If you are asked to collect stool samples for testing, follow the instructions carefully and share any concerns or changes in your bowel habits with your healthcare providers. Clear communication helps your care team support your health and catch any problems early.

Remember, this entry is educational and does not replace medical advice. Always talk with your doctor or nurse about what feces or stool test results mean for you personally and what steps to take next.