What is a Colon Cancer Test?
This test checks for the presence of occult blood in the stool, meaning it is invisible to the human eye. This is called a Fecal Immunochemical Test, or FIT. Occult blood in the stool can indicate colon polyps or cancer, and will require additional testing to verify the cause. Through this simple test, it can be determined whether trace amounts of blood are present in your stool, which could indicate conditions such as colon cancer. This is a stool sample test that you can easily take from home. Your sample will then be examined by a certified laboratory and you will receive the results within a matter of days. It couldn’t be easier!
Why do a FIT test?
According to the Dutch Public Health Service (RIVM), 14,000 people get colon cancer and 5,000 people die from colon cancer in the Netherlands each year. Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Netherlands. 9 out of 10 people who get colon cancer are 55 years or older. Colon cancer often detected early and is usually highly treatable. With early detection, highly invasive treatment can be avoided and remission is more likely.
How do I do this test from home?
Your Homed-IQ Colon Cancer Test comes with everything you need to prepare a stool sample. To perform this test, you must collect the stool sample and mail it back to our lab in a prepaid return-envelope. The lab will share your results with you within a few working days.
What are the most common symptoms of colon cancer?
Colorectal cancer usually develops slowly over a period of many years. It often begins as a non-cancerous—but abnormal—mass of tissue (called a “polyp”) that grows along the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Polyps can eventually become cancerous.
In general, colorectal polyps will not cause symptoms. This is why routine screening is so important—so you can catch colon cancer early and treat it accordingly.
We recommend speaking with your healthcare provider right away if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Change in bowel habits
- Alternating or chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Very thin stools
- Persistent urge to have a bowel movement
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Blood in your stool or in the toilet
What do the results of this test mean?
The results of your test will either be negative or positive. A negative test result means that no blood was detected in your stool sample. An abnormal or positive FIT result means that there was blood found in your stool at the time of the test. A colon polyp, precancerous polyp, or cancer can cause a positive FIT stool test. Additional testing may be necessary to identify the source of the bleeding. This does not mean that you have colon cancer- simply that more investigation is needed.
Is this test a replacement for colon cancer screening in the hospital?
While stool tests are less sensitive than colonoscopies at detecting abnormal growths in the colon, they are less invasive and therefore may be more readily used by the general public. Therefore it has been suggested that stool testing may be more effective and less costly than other colon cancer screening strategies (Quintero et al., 2012). However, FIT tests should be repeated annually, whereas colonoscopies are only needed once every ten years. Additionally, a positive FIT test means that additional screening is needed, such as a colonoscopy at the hospital.
About the test
What is a Colon Cancer Test?
This test checks for the presence of occult blood in the stool, meaning it is invisible to the human eye. This is called a Fecal Immunochemical Test, or FIT. Occult blood in the stool can indicate colon polyps or cancer, and will require additional testing to verify the cause. Through this simple test, it can be determined whether trace amounts of blood are present in your stool, which could indicate conditions such as colon cancer. This is a stool sample test that you can easily take from home. Your sample will then be examined by a certified laboratory and you will receive the results within a matter of days. It couldn’t be easier!
How do I do this test from home?
Your Homed-IQ Colon Cancer Test comes with everything you need to prepare a stool sample. To perform this test, you must collect the stool sample and mail it back to our lab in a prepaid return-envelope. The lab will share your results with you within a few working days.
Is this test a replacement for colon cancer screening in the hospital?
While stool tests are less sensitive than colonoscopies at detecting abnormal growths in the colon, they are less invasive and therefore may be more readily used by the general public. Therefore it has been suggested that stool testing may be more effective and less costly than other colon cancer screening strategies (Quintero et al., 2012). However, FIT tests should be repeated annually, whereas colonoscopies are only needed once every ten years. Additionally, a positive FIT test means that additional screening is needed, such as a colonoscopy at the hospital.
Symptoms
What are the most common symptoms of colon cancer?
Colorectal cancer usually develops slowly over a period of many years. It often begins as a non-cancerous—but abnormal—mass of tissue (called a “polyp”) that grows along the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Polyps can eventually become cancerous.
In general, colorectal polyps will not cause symptoms. This is why routine screening is so important—so you can catch colon cancer early and treat it accordingly.
We recommend speaking with your healthcare provider right away if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Change in bowel habits
- Alternating or chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Very thin stools
- Persistent urge to have a bowel movement
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Blood in your stool or in the toilet
Results
What do the results of this test mean?
The results of your test will either be negative or positive. A negative test result means that no blood was detected in your stool sample. An abnormal or positive FIT result means that there was blood found in your stool at the time of the test. A colon polyp, precancerous polyp, or cancer can cause a positive FIT stool test. Additional testing may be necessary to identify the source of the bleeding. This does not mean that you have colon cancer- simply that more investigation is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is currently no blood test that can tell you if you have colon cancer. However, your doctor may test your blood for indicators about your overall health, such as kidney and liver function tests. Your doctor may also test your blood for a chemical sometimes produced by colon cancers called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).
No test is 100% accurate. There is a chance that a precancerous polyp or cancer can be missed if it wasn’t bleeding when the test was done. Regular screening gives you the best chance of early detection of colorectal cancer, where treatment may be more successful.
The fecal immunochemical test, or FIT, uses antibodies to detect blood in the stool, and it’s about 79% accurate at detecting colon cancer.
A FIT stool test is less invasive than a colonoscopy but should be repeated more often to screen for potential cancer. FIT tests are also not able to identify the source of fecal occult blood, meaning additional tests may be needed if abnormalities are found. Additionally, false positives are possible with any test, meaning the result may indicate the presence of blood when none exists.
Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early. The U.S. The Ministry of Health recommends that adults aged 45 to 75 are screened for colorectal cancer.
It is necessary to investigate the source of fecal occult blood with additional testing. All Homed-IQ test results include a complete laboratory report. If your test result is positive, please take your test result to your healthcare provider for follow-up care.
There are several different types of tests to screen for colon cancer, including structural examinations of the colon (such as a colonoscopy) and stool examinations for occult (hidden) blood. Homed-IQ’s Colon Cancer test is a fecal occult blood test that checks for abnormal bleeding in the stool. The stool sample for this test is collected at home and then sent to our certified laboratory. This is the same FIT that you would receive at a doctor’s office.
We currently do not have any agreements with health insurers. We recommend you to check directly with your insurer whether at-home celiac tests are covered. Certain insurance companies do cover certain at-home laboratory tests.
Homed-IQ can provide itemized receipts for tests you order – which you can then submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
Our receipts include:
- Purchaser’s name, email, and address
- Date of purchase (as opposed to date of service)
- Amount paid (after any discounts or promotions)
The CDC recommends that adults between the ages of 45 and 75 are regularly screened for colon cancer. In the Netherlands, this age group is 55 to 75. You may need to get screened earlier, or more often if:
- You have a family history of colorectal polyps or colon cancer
- You have an inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
- You have a genetic syndrome that predisposes you to colon cancer, such as Lynch syndrome
- You are experiencing gastrointestinal complaints
Stool tests such as the one offered by Homed-IQ should be repeated one a year.
Please visit the following resources for more information:
CDC: What should I know about colon cancer screening?
How It Works
Order Your Test
Once you have placed your order, your test kit will be delivered within days and in discreet packaging.
Activate & Collect Sample
After online activation of your test kit, you can collect your sample within a few minutes and mail it back to us in the pre-paid envelope.
View Results
A certified laboratory will review your sample and your test results will be available within a matter of days.
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