Faecal occult blood test

Also known as: FOB

At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To screen for bleeding from the gut/intestine, which may be an indicator of bowel cancer

When to Get Tested?

When a patient has a family history of cancer of the intestine and some other organs, when symptoms are suspicious of gut cancer or to help diagnose long-term unexplained anaemia

Sample Required?

One or more stool samples. Usually daily for three days.

This article was last reviewed on

September 3, 2007

. | This page was last modified on July 31, 2010.

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