An abnormal FIT result means that blood was found in the stool sample that you submitted. Abnormal FIT results are common and do NOT mean that you have cancer.
On average, 10-15 percent of people screened with FIT will have an abnormal result and will require additional testing. This does not mean that cancer was found – over 96 percent of people with an abnormal FIT result will be found to not have cancer.
Some of these patients may have polyps, which are small growths that can develop in the colon or rectum, often with no symptoms in the early stages of growth. Most polyps will never turn into cancer, and for those that do, it will take many years for this transition, which is why people between the ages of 50 to 74 years should be screened regularly.
If you receive an abnormal FIT result, do not repeat the test in hopes of receiving a different result. Even if you receive a normal FIT result on a later test, the recommendation to proceed to colonoscopy would not change. The cause of the blood detected in your original sample still requires further investigation.
For more information on what it means to have an abnormal FIT result, watch this
video.