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Faecal occult blood tests (FOBT)
What is an FOBT?
An FOBT (faecal occult blood test) is a simple test which looks for early signs of bowel cancer. It is only used for people who don't have any symptoms of bowel cancer, or a family history of bowel cancer. FOBTs look for tiny amounts of blood (that often can't be seen by the naked eye) in bowel motions. Blood is usually caused by something less serious than cancer. However, it may be a sign of an early bowel cancer or a polyp: a growth on the inside of the bowel that could develop into cancer. If the FOBT finds blood, more tests are done to find out what's caused the bleeding. FOBTs are not diagnostic tests (they cannot tell if you have cancer). They are used to identify people who need further testing. What does it involve?
The test is quick and painless. It can be done at home and involves collecting a tiny sample from 2 separate bowel motions. Having 2 samples instead of 1 means any problem is more likely to be found.
Different brands of FOBT have slightly different ways of collecting the sample. It may be just a swirl with the provided brush or a smear on the tip of the sampling stick. Each kit comes with very good instructions.
The samples are then sent to a laboratory for testing. Both the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the Cancer Council use immunochemical tests – you don’t need to change your diet or medication.
The other type (guaiac tests) ask people to change their diets and stop taking some kinds of medication before the test. They are not as easy to use because of this. How accurate are FOBTs? Although no screening test is 100% accurate, the FOBT is currently the most widely available screening test for bowel cancer. If you do an FOBT every 2 years, you can reduce your risk of dying from bowel cancer by up to one third. What do the results mean? Negative (no blood has been found in your samples)
Some bowel cancers may not bleed, or may only bleed every now and then. So a negative FOBT does not mean that you definitely do not have bowel cancer – but it is reassuring. Always see your doctor if you notice any signs or symptoms of bowel cancer, - even if you've recently done an FOBT. If you have a negative FOBT result, it's recommended that you continue to have FOBTs every 2 years, as bowel cancer may develop in following years.
Positive (blood has been found in your samples)
There could be several reasons for finding blood in a bowel motion that may not be related to bowel cancer, for example, bleeding from piles (haemorrhoids), menstrual blood, etc. However, if blood is found, it is important to speak to your doctor. Your doctor will talk with you about follow-up tests (such as colonoscopies) which check for bowel cancer, polyps or other causes of the positive FOBT result. Remember, bowel cancer is 90% curable if it is found at an early stage. What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is a test that allows a specialist to look at the inside of the bowel. It is a day procedure. The test itself takes 20 to 30 minutes and is usually done in a hospital or day clinic. The specialist will insert a narrow, flexible tube called a colonoscope into your back passage. The colonoscope allows the specialist to look for polyps or bowel cancers. Most polyps can be removed during the colonoscopy. If you need to have a colonoscopy your doctor will explain the procedure and tell you about any risks. It's rare for a colonoscopy to cause serious problems.
Public hospital patients often have to wait several weeks, or sometimes months for the procedure. Private patients usually have a shorter wait.  Top
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Prevention & early detection 
