What tests might be useful for me?

If you are a stage I patient:

At diagnosis

• Colonoscopy
• Ct scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis
• MRI of pelvis
• CEA testing
• Tumor biopsy testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Guardant REVEAL (optional)

If you’ve had surgery

• Tumor testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status, if not done before
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available)

For surveillance

• Routine bloodwork
• CEA testing
• CT scan
• Colonoscopy
• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL

If you later have an enlarged lymph node or suspected spot on an organ

• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL
• PET or CT scan (or MRI, if the spot is on the liver)

If you are a stage II patient:

At diagnosis

• Colonoscopy
• CT scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis
• MRI of pelvis
• CEA testing
• Tumor biopsy testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Guardant REVEAL

If you’ve had surgery

• Tumor testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status, if not done before
• Immunoscore testing of tumor tissue
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL. This can help your care team decide if chemotherapy is necessary, and if so, how long the treatment should be

For surveillance

• Routine bloodwork
• CEA testing
• CT scan
• Colonoscopy
• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL

If you later have an enlarged lymph node or suspected spot on an organ

• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL
• PET or CT scan (or MRI, if the spot is on the liver)

If you are a stage III patient:

At diagnosis

• Colonoscopy
• CT scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis
• MRI of pelvis
• CEA testing
• Tumor biopsy testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Guardant REVEAL

If you’ve had surgery

• Tumor testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status, if not done before
• Immunoscore testing of tumor tissue
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL. This can help your care team decide how long your chemotherapy regimen should be

For surveillance

• Routine bloodwork
• CEA testing
• CT scan
• Colonoscopy
• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL

If you later have an enlarged lymph node or suspected spot on an organ

• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant REVEAL
• PET or CT scan (or MRI, if the spot is on the liver)

At progression

• Liquid biopsies such as Guardant360, Guardant360 CDx, or Foundation One Liquid
• Tumor genomic testing through extended genomic panels, such as Foundation One, Tempus, or Caris

If you are a stage IV patient:

• Colonoscopy
• Ct scan of chest, abdomen, pelvis
• MRI of pelvis
• CEA testing
• Tumor biopsy testing for MSS/MSI-H and BRAF status
• Tumor genomic testing through extended genomic panels, such as Foundation One, Tempus, or Caris
• Liquid biopsy tests such as Foundation One Liquid
• ctDNA testing through tests such as Guardant360

On chemotherapy

• Routine blood tests
• CEA testing
• CA 19-9 if CEA is not a good biomarker for you
• CT scan
• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available)

On regimens that include targeted therapies (herceptin, vectibix, erbitux, BRAF inhibitor, MEKi, immunotherapy)

• Routine blood tests
• CEA testing
• CA 19-9 if CEA is not a good biomarker for you
• CT scan
• Liquid biopsies such as Guardant360, Guardant360 CDx, or Foundation One Liquid

At progression

• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant360
• Tumor genomic testing through extended genomic panels, such as Foundation One, Tempus, or Caris

For surveillance

• Routine blood tests
• CEA testing
• CA 19-9 if CEA is not a good biomarker for you
• CT scan
• ctDNA testing done through Signatera (if pre-treatment tissue samples are available) or Guardant360