Early colorectal cancer may bleed and cause blood to be mixed in the stool. Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) may detect small amounts of blood in stool even if it is not visible to the naked eye. FOBT is a non-invasive and safe test. Sampling only has to be done at home and the collected specimen should then be returned to a Specimen Collection Point.

If FOBT result is positive, you will need to be assessed by colonoscopy. Where polyps are found, they will be removed for analysis. Removal of polyps also reduces the chance of them becoming cancerous.

The flow diagram guides you through the key steps of the Programme: