(ContentDesk) July 23, 2006 -- Many of us have endured the discomfort of a sigmoidoscopy or the daunting prospective of drinking a gallon of colon-cleansing laxative the day before a colonoscopy. Both of these procedures are costly, inconvenient and rather extreme for patients with no presence of rectal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease or a close relative that has had colorectal polyps or colon cancer. In the past, the only non-invasive cancer screening offered was the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) which identifies blood in the stool sample, but not the presence of cancer. Private MD Labs is very pleased to be able to offer their patients a new, safe and more convenient method for colorectal cancer screening. PreGen-Plus" is a test that analyzes human DNA extracted from the patients stool sample and looks for specific DNA mutations known to be associated with the presence of colorectal cancer.

Stool collection is done by the patient in their home with materials and instructions provided by Private MD Labs. The patient delivers the stool sample back to the lab  theres no hospital or clinic visit, no special diet prior to obtaining the sample and no medication or laxative necessary. It couldnt be simpler.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if colorectal cancer is found and treated early, the 5-year survival rate for patients is 90 percent. Unfortunately, less than 40 percent of the patients diagnosed with colon cancer found it early. The CDC attributes this alarming statistic to low screening rates.

The makers of PreGen-Plus", along with Private MD Labs, think this new method of colorectal cancer screening is so painless and easy that more patients will submit to testing. If you are age 50 or older, you should be tested. The CDC lists colon cancer as the third most common cancer in men and women, with 90 percent of all diagnosed colon cancer cases occurring in patients 50 or older.How can you order your PreGen-Plus" test? Visit the Private MD Lab Services Web site, http://www.privatemdlabs.com/lp/Colon_and_Rectal_Cancer.php , locate a lab in your area and purchase the PreGen-Plus" test. After processing, an e-mail is sent to you with instructions for stool specimen collection, which is placed directly into a pre-paid and pre-packaged airtight container and sealed immediatelythere is no handling of the sample directly. Most test results are available with two or three weeks after your specimen is mailed or carried to the Patient Service Center.

State and federal laws require licensed physicians to analyze the test data and provide the results. A second notification is sent to you, and through a secure link you may download the lab results confidentially. Otis A. Plunk, MD, Private MD founder and medical director, has invested in secure, user-friendly software and offers a network of over 1,000 Patient Service Centers for your testing convenience.The following is a sample of the testing available through Private MD Lab Services: autoimmune diseases, blood and blood diseases, prostate cancer disease, diabetes, female specific tests, gastrointestinal diseases, general wellness tests, heart health and cholesterol, hormones and metabolism, infectious diseases, kidney disease, liver disease, male specific tests, musculoskeletal diseases and sexually transmitted diseases..