I had a negative fit test in July 2022 but in December 2023 I found out i had bowel cancer and a 5cm tumour , i was under the impression that bowel cancer was slow growing ? And took years to show itself, have i got this wrong ?
I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis and appreciate your question.
Unfortunately it is difficult to know how long someone may have had cancer, although this may be a question to ask your specialist if they have any thoughts about this.
Every cancer is different in the way it is made up and how it behaves, with some cancers growing slowly and others much faster.
I think the thing you have to remember with a FIT test is that it is only looking for microscopic blood in the stools as a signal that more tests may be needed. I'm afraid no test is ever 100% but at the same time when you had the FIT test done the cancer may well not have have been there or was so incredibly small that nothing would have been detected at that stage.
I hope this helps a little. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
