Stool For Occult Blood near me in Bangalore

Also known as Faecal Occult Blood (FOB)

You need to provide

Stool

This test is for

Male, Female

Test Preparation

Vitamin C when taken in amounts greater than 250 mg per day has been shown to induce false negative results; Rectal medications (suppositories) and iron containing medications may also interfere with these tests and should be discontinued two days before and during the test period with the consent of the physician; For at least 2 days before and during the test period all raw meat and red meat should be avoided. Raw broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and turnips may cause false positive results, hence should be avoided.
Do not use match box or absorbant material. Patient should avoid meat products, pain killers, iron tablets, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and hard tooth brush for 3 days prior to specimen collection.

Understanding Stool For Occult Blood in Bangalore

What is Stool For Occult Blood in Bangalore?

The stool test for occult blood, also called a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) checks the presence of blood in stool that is not visible to the naked eye. Blood in the stool is indicative of some kind of bleeding in the digestive tract which could be indicative of conditions like polyps, ulcers and colorectal cancer.

The fecal occult blood test can only detect the presence or absence of blood, it can't determine what's causing bleeding. This is a simple, inexpensive, and most frequently performed stool test. An FOBT is a screening test that may help find colorectal cancer early when treatment is most effective.

If your test results are positive, additional tests such as a colonoscopy are recommended to figure out the exact location of bleeding.

What does Stool For Occult Blood measure?

Invisible blood (occult blood in stool) can be a screening test of carcinoma colon (a type of cancer) and can help in early diagnosis and management. Most cases of colon cancer begin with benign intestinal polyps which are relatively common in people over the age of 50. Mostly, these polyps may not cause any health problems, but some can become cancerous. These finger-like growths which extend into the intestinal cavity (lumen) or the rectum. They can be fragile and may bleed occasionally when fecal mass brushes against them. This can be detected by a fecal or stool occult blood test. This small amount of blood may be the first and sometimes the only sign of early colon cancer thereby making a stool for occult blood a valuable screening tool for colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer.

It is recommended that at least three stool samples should be collected on different days. The American Cancer Society has stated that a single test performed at the time of a digital rectal exam in a health practitioner's office is not recommended because the sample may not be sensitive enough to screen for cancer. The home FOBT or FIT is recommended because the collection of stools on three different days increases the chance of detecting cancer. Furthermore, it is recommended that those who choose this method of colon cancer screening should get screened every year.