Hello there and thanks for posting

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

Yes the FIT test is designed to pick up occult (hidden blood) in the stools. FIT was designed for the bowel screening programme for people over the age of 60. This group of people who don't have symptoms are tested every 2 years to check for blood that may need investigating further with the aim of detecting early bowel cancer.

However the FIT is now also used by GP's for symptomatic patients who have noticed a change in bowel habit (with or without evident blood) to determine who needs to go for further investigation. Most colorectal referrals will require this test to have been done and a positive test to be eligible for some type of urgent bowel camera scope (colonoscopy).

You would expect blood evident to the naked eye to give a positive test result, although this is not always the case. Research has shown that a FIT test is effective at identifying which people experiencing rectal bleeding are at greatest risk and need to be seen urgently.

Rectal bleeding is not always caused by cancer but often further tests are needed to find out the cause. Other inflammatory bowel conditions can also cause bleeding alongside polyps (small growths). However these other causes may also need to be managed quickly which is why patients are often put on a suspected cancer pathway with a positive FIT test.

I hope this makes sense and do get back in touch if needed.

Best wishes

Naomi