SELFCHECK Faecal Immunochemical Test Kit

- Faecal immunochemical test (FIT)
- Results in 10 minutes
- Test at home - no need to send sample away for testing
- No need to change diet before testing
- Assembled in the UK

The SELFCHECK Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a bowel health test to help you find out whether you may be at risk of developing bowel cancer.

The test requires only a small stool sample, and uses the faecal immunochemical test method (FIT) to give you an easy-to-read visual result in less than 10 minutes.

This test has a detection limit of 40µg Hb/ g faeces which is more sensitive than current (October 2023) NHS bowel screening programs. It is important to chose a test that is not overly sensitive (<10µg Hb/g) faeces for screening purposes, as this may lead to false positive results causing unnecessary worry and investigations. Nevertheless, your doctor may use a test that is more sensitive than those used for screening if you have symptoms typical of bowel cancer.

What is a faecal immunochemical test?
The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a type of test used in NHS bowel cancer screening programmes as a reliable way to check for the early stages of bowel cancer. Unlike older faecal occult blood tests (FOB), which rely on a chemical colour change to detect blood in a stool sample and can be prone to false positive results from eating meat, the faecal immunochemical test uses specific monoclonal antibodies to detect only human haemoglobin (Hb). It is important to understand that traces of blood may be present in your poo for reasons other than colon polyps or bowel cancer. The SELFCHECK Faecal Immunochemical Test has a cut-off designed for screening people who do not yet have any symptoms. Always speak to your doctor if you think you have bowel cancer symptoms or can see blood in your poo.

As the test uses the FIT detection method, no change in diet or fasting is required prior to using the test.

Although FIT tests are a sensitive and simple way to screen for bowel cancer, colon polyps can bleed intermittently, so there is a risk that testing on just one occasion could miss a diagnosis. Testing on more than one occasion can help increase the chances of detecting the early stages of bowel/colon cancer.

You do not need to send a sample away as the test kit contains a test cassette that allows you to check your own poo sample and get a reliable result in 10 minutes.

Contains 1 test.