CRUK – Screening programmes at a glance

The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is now an established bowel cancer test. This diagnostic assay identifies the presence of hidden blood in the stool, known as faecal occult blood (FOB), which can be an early sign of colorectal cancer. FIT uses antibodies specific to human haemoglobin so is more accurate and sensitive, provides a quantitative measurement and gives fewer false positive results than other tests.