Fecal immunochemical tests from population-based colorectal cancer screening programs support prospective microbiome cohorts

Large, prospective cohort studies with longitudinally collected fecal samples are critically needed to inform the role of the gut microbiome in development of chronic disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). We evaluated the ability to collect fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) from a CRC screening program in Turin, Italy as well as the efficacy of extraction and sequencing the samples. Overall, our findings recapitulated findings from prior smaller studies of the gut microbiome and CRC and support that CRC screening programs offer opportunities to study the role of the gut microbiome prospectively in carcinogenesis among large, diverse populations.