I've just received a phone call telling me my stool test was positive for blood,and have been referred to hospital. I'm a little scared. Should I be worried?
It sounds like you are talking about a FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) test. These tests look for tiny traces of blood in a poo sample, rather than cancer cells.
Further tests will be needed if there is blood found in the stool sample. The doctor might call this FIT positive. This doesn't mean that you have bowel cancer. Blood in a stool sample can be caused by cancer, or by other medical conditions, such as bowel polyps, haemorrhoids (piles), and inflammatory bowel disease.
If blood is found in the stool sample then further tests will be needed to see what is causing it. This will often be a colonoscopy (a camera which looks inside the bowel). You can read more about which tests may be required.
I hope this is helpful, but please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You might like 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.
