Fecal immunochemical test
| Fecal immunochemical test | |
|---|---|
 Faecal Immunochemical Testing | |
The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a diagnostic technique that examines stool samples for traces of non-visible blood, which could potentially indicate conditions including colorectal cancer (CRC).[1][2][3]
Mechanism and effectiveness
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Blood in stools does not always mean the presence of bowel or anal cancer, it could be from other bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or even hemorrhoids.[citation needed]
A 2016 paper suggests that, when FIT is used in conjunction with microbiota testing, sensitivity for detecting colonic cancer and adenomas may be increased compared to either type of testing alone.[4]
Clinical use
[edit]FIT may be performed every 1-2 years as a screening test for colorectal cancer in older adults.[3][5][6][7]
A 2022 UK guideline suggests prioritizing patients with both lower GI symptoms, and faecal haemoglobin ≥10 μg per 1g stool, for urgent referral for colorectal cancer investigation; patients who do not need meet this threshold may still be referred for further investigation based on symptoms and other factors, and should not be excluded based on this test alone.[8]
While UK guidelines now recommend using FIT in primary care to prioritize symptomatic patients for CRC investigation[8][1], in the US, FIT is mainly used as a screening test only[3], and colonoscopies are still considered the standard diagnostic approach for patients with symptoms suggestive of CRC, and some clinics (e.g. Mayo Clinic) recommend against the use of FIT in such patients[9].
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Bowel Cancer: Testing for blood in your poo using the FIT test". Cancer Research UK. 6 December 2021.
- ↑ Quintero, Enrique; Castells, Antoni; Bujanda, Luis; et al. (23 February 2012). "Colonoscopy versus Fecal Immunochemical Testing in Colorectal-Cancer Screening". New England Journal of Medicine. 366 (8). Massachusetts Medical Society: 697–706. doi:10.1056/nejmoa1108895. hdl:10486/663879. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 22356323.
- 1 2 3 "Fecal immunochemical test (FIT): MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov.
- ↑ Baxter, Nielson T.; Ruffin, Mack T.; Rogers, Mary A. M.; Schloss, Patrick D. (December 2016). "Microbiota-based model improves the sensitivity of fecal immunochemical test for detecting colonic lesions". Genome Medicine. 8 (1): 37. doi:10.1186/s13073-016-0290-3. hdl:2027.42/134551. PMC 4823848. PMID 27056827.
- ↑ Guthmann, Richard (June 2023). "Fecal Immunochemical Testing Compared With Colonoscopy". American Family Physician. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
- ↑ "Bowel cancer screening". NHS. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
- ↑ Issaka, Rachel B.; Chan, Andrew T.; Gupta, Samir (2023-11-01). "AGA Clinical Practice Update on Risk Stratification for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Post-Polypectomy Surveillance: Expert Review". Gastroenterology. 165 (5). Elsevier: 1280–1291. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.06.033. ISSN 0016-5085. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
- 1 2 Monahan, Kevin J; Davies, Michael M; Abulafi, Muti; et al. (12 July 2022). "Faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) in patients with signs or symptoms of suspected colorectal cancer (CRC): a joint guideline from the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) and the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)". Gut. 71 (10): 1939–1962. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327985. hdl:10044/1/100510. ISSN 0017-5749. PMC 9484376. PMID 35820780.
- ↑ "Fecal immunochemical test". Mayo Clinic. 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
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