This test is most commonly used as a preventative screening in healthy adults. You may also want to use this test if you have symptoms such as: 

• A change in bowel habits (like frequent diarrhea or constipation)
• Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away
• Unexplained weight loss

If you are experiencing symptoms like these, or you have a positive result on this test, you should visit your doctor to see if additional testing is needed.

This test is recommended for adults aged 50 to 74, with average risk. This screening is usually performed yearly. 

Please note: this test should NOT be used in place of regular colonoscopies for people with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, or certain genetic conditions like familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).

This test is called a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). It is used yearly as a screening test for colon cancer. It does not directly detect cancer, but checks for another indicator sometimes called a biomarker. The screening is intended to detect problems early so they can be treated before they become serious.

In this case, the test detects hidden blood in the stool (poop) that may not be visible to the naked eye. Blood in the stool can indicate the presence of precancerous growths or colon cancer. However, pre-cancerous growth or cancers do not always bleed, so the test could miss them (a false negative result). Other benign (non-cancerous) conditions of the digestive tract, like hemorrhoids, can also cause blood in the stool (a false positive result). 

Please note: this test does NOT determine if you have colon cancer. If you have a positive result you should see your doctor. You may require further testing, such as a colonoscopy.