For those hoping an at-home test will replace the colonoscopy entirely (and who isn’t?), we’ve got a small bubble-burster: There are no definitive plans yet. The clinical trial only tested Cologuard’s one-time accuracy, not its potential integration into current screening practices. Right now, it seems most likely that the test will be used in between once-a-decade colonoscopies, or as a way to increase overall participation in screenings. Diehard colonoscopy avoiders, for example, might try Cologuard knowing they may only have to get the full-blown procedure if the test comes back positive. (And colonoscopies don’t have to be the end of the world; here’s how to make the process easier on yourself.) “We don’t know how it will perform in between or instead of colonoscopies,” says Steven Itzkowitz, MD, a professor of gastroenterology and oncology and one of the physicians involved in the Cologuard clinical trial. “But we feel that this would be a good complement to colonoscopy.” Particularly, he suggests, in the 3- to 4-year period after the procedure, when some cancers are believed to develop. Alas, traditional colonoscopy is still the most accurate method of detection. But Cologuard comes impressively close. A recent clinical trial of more than 10,000 patients found that the test is 92% effective at detecting colorectal cancers. That’s a huge improvement over the market’s other noninvasive screener, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), which has an accuracy rate of only 74%. The FIT only tests stool for traces of blood, but some cancers don’t bleed, says Itzkowitz. Cologuard’s increased sensitivity tests for both blood and abnormal DNA in the stool—both warning signs of cancer in the colon. Want to find out if Cologuard is a good choice for you? Men and women over 50 with an average risk for colorectal cancer (that is, no family or personal history and no preexisting conditions that raise colorectal cancer risk) can ask their primary care doctors about getting a prescription for the test.  MORE: 6 Tasty Ways To Get More Fiber