Faecal Occult Blood (FOB)
The Chemical Pathology Laboratory at GHNHSFT has discontinued its Faecal Occult Blood testing service
- The faecal occult blood test is too insensitive for the identification of abnormalities in symptomatic patients who should therefore always be referred for GI investigations.
- The faecal occult blood test (FOB) is useful as a population screening test for the detection of bowel cancer in asymptomatic subjects.
- This test forms the basis of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme which has been running in Gloucestershire since January 2007.
- The programme offers screening (over a 2 year period) to everyone between the ages of 59 and 70 years who is registered with an NHS GP, but is extended to persons older than this on request by contacting the bowel cancer screening hub.
- Further information about this programme is available by accessing http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/
- Recent NICE guidance on cancer (NG12) has advocated the use of the faecal occult blood test however this advice is being strongly rebutted by specialists in this area and FOB testing is currently not available. Please access the following link for more details http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h3044/rr-0
The local FOB test
- There is no other clinical use for this test as the sensitivity and specificity of the FOB test for blood in stool samples are not sufficient to rule in or rule out a GI bleed.
- Many laboratories around the UK no longer assay Faecal Occult Blood.
- The withdrawal has been approved by the local consultant gastroenterologists.
References
British Society of Gastroenterology Guide to the Management of Iron Deficiency Anaemia
Use of faecal occult blood tests in symptomatic patients
Page last updated 18/08/2015