colon cancer symptom : Fecal Occult Blood Testing ( FOBT )

Diagnosis of Colon Cancer
The diagnosis of colon cancer depends on a variety of methods including barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and biopsy once a mass is found.


Fecal Occult Blood Testing ( FOBT )

Other names include: Occult Blood Testing, Hemocculttm, Hemoquant,tm Hemoccult Sensatm, Hemewipestm, etc.

This is a test that detects the presence of occult ( detectable only by chemical means and not visible ) blood in the stool. Such blood may arise from anywhere along the digestive tract but is most likely to originate in the colon.

There are many ways to collect the samples. You can catch the stool on Sarantm wrap that is loosely placed over the toilet bowel and held in place by the toilet seat. Then put the sample in the clean container supplied or on the card which was given you. One test kit, Hemewipes tm, supplies a special toilet tissue that you use to collect the sample, then put the sample in a clean container. For children wearing diapers, you can line the diaper with Sarantm wrap.

Laboratory procedures vary. In one type of test, a small sample of the stool is placed on a special paper "card". A drop or two of testing solution is applied to a positive and negative control at the bottom of the card. A color change ( often blue ) indicates the presence of blood in the stool.

Do not consume red meat or fish ( contain non-human hemoglobin ) for 3 days as this can cause a false positive reading for blood. Discontinue drugs and substances that can interfere with the test such as: Vitamin C which can cause a false negative reading; Horse radish, fresh broccoli, turnips, cauliflower ( have vegatable peroxidase ) and colchicine which can give a false positive reading; Anticoagulants, Aspirin or arthritis medicine which can cause leakage of blood into the intestinal tract; Oxidizing drugs such as topical iodine, bromides, and boric acid, and reserpine need to be stopped about three days before the test as they can cause a false positive reading.

Copyright© 10/13/96 by:
Donald E. Mansell, MD