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Symptomatic FIT testing

The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is an important test in helping to improve the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

The test looks for microscopic amounts of blood in a stool sample collected at home by the patient using a special FIT collection kit.  This kit can be given out by the GP or medical practice administration staff following a consultation.

Traces of blood in the stool can be caused by other medical conditions and doesn’t necessarily mean the patient has cancer. However, if it is cancer, finding it at an early stage means there are more treatment options available.

It is important that you contact your GP as soon as possible if you have any of the following symptoms for 3 weeks or more:

  • changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
  • needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
  • blood in your poo, which may look red or black
  • bleeding from your bottom
  • often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
  • tummy pain
  • a lump in your tummy
  • bloating
  • losing weight without trying
  • feeling very tired or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer
Our Spot it, Stop it community van is out and about this autumn. Pop in and ask about a FIT kit.

Information for patients about the symptomatic FIT test

If you have been asked to complete a poo test it is really important to:

Educational videos

We have created a set of  videos to support Primary Care and help patients understand the importance of the correct and timely completion of symptomatic FIT testing. To make this information accessible to more people across the Thames Valley, the videos are available in: