Fecal Occult Blood Test

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KEY POINTS

• A fecal occult blood test is a lab test that looks for hidden or invisible blood in your bowel movements. You can use a test kit at home.
• You may need to avoid some medicines or foods for several days before you collect your stool sample. Follow any other instructions your healthcare provider gives you.
• Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.

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What is a fecal occult blood test?

A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a lab test that looks for hidden or invisible (occult) blood in your bowel movements. A FOBT can find tiny amounts of blood that can’t be seen by just looking at your bowel movements.

Why is it done?

This test may be done to:

• Check for blood in your bowel movement as part of your yearly physical exam if you are over age 50
• Screen for cancer of the colon or rectum, which are parts of your intestinal tract or bowel
• Check for a bleeding ulcer or another cause of bleeding in the intestines. You may have bleeding in such small amounts that you cannot see the blood by simply looking at a bowel movement. A FOBT can find tiny amounts of hidden blood.

How do I prepare for this test?

Tell your healthcare provider about any medicines, herbs, or supplements that you are taking. When taking the FOBT test, you may need to avoid some medicines or foods for several days before you collect your samples. Red meat, cantaloupe, and some raw vegetables such as turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, parsnips, and horseradish may cause false positive test results depending on the test your healthcare provider is using.

If you are having a menstrual period, that blood can make the test appear positive. Ask your healthcare provider how to avoid this kind of false positive test result.

Follow any other instructions your healthcare provider gives you.

How is the test done?

Your provider will give you a test kit that you will use at home. Follow the instructions that come with the kit for getting samples of your bowel movements and for returning the cards to a lab. Read all of the instructions that come with the test kit before you start including how to open the card and where to put the bowel movement sample.

The samples are sent to the lab and tested. Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the results of your test.

What does the test result mean?

This test checks for the presence of blood in your bowel movements. It does not measure how much blood. It reports just whether blood is present. If the lab finds blood, your healthcare provider will decide what other tests you need to find where the blood came from.

What if my test result is not normal?

Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Talk to your healthcare provider about your results and ask questions such as:

• If you need more tests
• What kind of treatment you might need
• What lifestyle, diet, or other changes you might need to make