The detection of blood in the stool is mainly used to identify suspected tumours of the colon and rectum.

The importance of the test

Colorectal malignancies are the third most common form of cancer worldwide, ranking second in terms of mortality. It is more common in developed countries.

Risk factors

Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high red meat consumption, low fibre diet, family history of accumulation. The likelihood of developing it doubles every decade over the age of 40. Therefore, a conoloscopy every three years is usually recommended for people over 40-50 years of age. A useful additional screening test is the faecal blood test, which is simple, non-invasive, low cost and can be performed more frequently, increasing safety. The primary aim is prevention even in the asymptomatic phase.

Colon and rectal cancer can remain asymptomatic for a very long time, symptoms may be present:

change in bowel movements, abdominal pain or discomfort, visible blood in the stool, anaemia in the laboratory result.

Biological background

Colon cancer typically starts slowly, with benign and asymptomatic lesions (called colorectal polyps) that later progress to malignancy. Blood in the stool, which is not visible to the naked eye, may be a symptom of a tumour in the bowel. Faecal blood is not necessarily a feature of colon cancer, but it is a very common symptom. Blood in the stool can also be a symptom of other diseases, such as haemorrhoids, bleeding stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. autoimmune bowel diseases).

How the test works

The test uses the immunochromatography method.

Today, it is preferred over the former guaiac-based detection because of its better performance (based on the results of a colonoscopy-confirmed diagnosis in a study of more than 600 people).