faecal occult test
Noun: A diagnostic medical procedure where a person collects small samples of their own stool (feces) on specially provided cards or in a container. These samples are then analyzed in a laboratory to detect the presence of hidden (occult) blood, which is not visible to the naked eye. This test is primarily used as a screening tool for early detection of colorectal cancer or other conditions that may cause bleeding in the digestive tract.
The term is used specifically in medical and healthcare contexts to refer to this screening method. It is often part of routine preventive health check-ups for adults over a certain age.
- Noun:
- The doctor recommended a faecal occult test as part of my annual health screening.
- A positive faecal occult test result usually requires further investigation, such as a colonoscopy.
- "to undergo a faecal occult test": to have the test performed.
- Patients over 50 are advised to undergo a faecal occult test every one to two years.
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT): The most common variant and synonym, using the American English spelling "fecal".
- Stool occult blood test: Another descriptive synonym.
- Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT): A specific type of FOBT that uses a chemical called guaiac to detect blood.
- Immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT or FIT): A more modern type of test that uses antibodies to detect human blood proteins.
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
- Stool blood test
- Occult blood test (This is a more general term that can also refer to tests on other bodily fluids, but context usually specifies it is for stool.)
This term refers strictly to the specific screening test for hidden blood in stool. It is not a general term for any test performed on stool samples (e.g., tests for infections or parasites). The core purpose is screening for early signs of colorectal cancer.
- a test performed at home in which you collect specimens of your stool that are tested for traces of blood; used to detect colorectal cancers