Cologuard® does not keep your DNA
Real talk about how Cologuard only checks for cancer related markers, doesn’t keep your DNA, and disposes your sample after testing.
By Exact Sciences Corporation | May 12, 2026
We get it. These days, protection is everything. Doorbell cameras. Password managers. Credit monitoring. Even that little sticker over your laptop camera. So, of course, you want to protect your DNA. Cologuard doesn’t want your DNA. Truly.
The Cologuard test looks at a precise biomarker panel to detect distinct DNA markers (signs of DNA alteration) and tiny blood traces, focusing on key changes linked to colon cancer. Once we’ve checked those markers, our interest ends there.1 Your DNA stays yours. We just took a peek to help detect colon cancer, then we’re done, and we dispose of it after the test following strict lab protocols.
Watch this 60 second expert explanation.
It does not:
- Perform any genetic test
- Does not test for ancestry
- Does not store or use your DNA beyond that
- Does not identify you beyond your test
Exact Sciences Laboratories is licensed with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
Click here to see if Cologuard is right for you.
