What does a positive occult blood immunochemical mean?
The Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is the test used in BC Cancer’s Colon Screening Program. It measures the amount of blood in your stool sample. A positive (abnormal) result means that blood was found in your stool. Blood in the stool suggests an individual is at higher risk of having colon cancer.
What is normal occult blood?
Definition. Tests for fecal occult blood detect blood in the stool that is not visible on gross inspection, usually less than 50 mg of hemoglobin per gram of stool. Normal adults usually show less than 2 to 3 mg/gm.
What is a positive immunochemical test?
A positive test result, also called an abnormal result, means that the sample contains blood. It does not necessarily mean you have colorectal cancer, since noncancerous conditions can also cause blood to enter the stool. If you have a positive result, it is important to speak with your doctor about your test result.
What is a normal fit test result?
Normal result This means no blood was found. 2 years after your test, you will be sent another test kit if you are still within the age range. If you have any symptoms before your next screening test, it is important to go to see your GP.
What happens if occult blood test is positive?
A positive fecal occult blood test means that blood has been found in the stool. Your doctor will have to determine the source of the bleeding, either by doing a colonoscopy or by doing an examination to determine if the bleeding is coming from the stomach or small intestine.
How serious is a positive fit test?
An abnormal or positive FIT result means that there was blood in your stool at the time of the test. A colon polyp, a pre-cancerous polyp, or cancer can cause a positive stool test. With a positive test, there is a small chance that you have early-stage colorectal cancer.
Is occult blood in stool serious?
Occult blood in the stool may indicate colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum — though not all cancers or polyps bleed. Typically, occult blood is passed in such small amounts that it can be detected only through the chemicals used in a fecal occult blood test.
What do I do if my occult blood test is positive?
If your test results are positive for blood, your health care provider will likely recommend additional testing, such as a colonoscopy, to figure out the exact location and cause of your bleeding. If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.
Should I be worried about a positive fit test?
What is a high fit score?
The higher the FIT value is above 20 the greater is the likelihood that there are polyps or a malignancy. FIT is also positive in patients with IBD as you would expect.
How do you treat occult blood in stool?
Treatment of bleeding most often involves endoscopic ablation of the bleeding site with thermal energy, if the site is accessible. Angiographic embolization may be used to treat lesions that cannot be reached endoscopically. Diffuse vascular lesions, which are not uncommon, are difficult to treat.
Should I worry about a positive fit test?
