During medical check-ups, some private and seemingly troublesome tests are often skipped, such as the fecal occult blood test (FOBT).

Many people, when faced with the container and sampling stick for stool collection, tend to avoid it due to “fear of dirt,” “embarrassment,” or “thinking it’s an overreaction.” However, this often-despised “stool test” can be a lifesaver in critical moments.

Ms. Wu, aged 59, visited the clinic after experiencing a week of bloody stools. She never expected that the test she had skipped for three consecutive years would, for the first time, screen positive through the immunochemical method, leading to an early diagnosis of rectal cancer via colonoscopy. After surgical removal, her five-year survival rate exceeded 90%.

In contrast, her neighbor, Mr. Zhang, who had long ignored this “troublesome option” on his medical check-up form, was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer only after experiencing abdominal pain and bloody stools, reducing his survival rate to less than 10%.

Why should you not skip the fecal occult blood test?
The core value of FOBT  lies in detecting (micro-bleeding) in the digestive tract. When there is minor bleeding (daily only 2-5ml), red blood cells have already been digested and broken down, making the stool appear normal without visible blood and undetectable under a microscope. However, the destruction of red blood cells releases hemoglobin, which can be detected through chemical or immunochemical methods.

This minor bleeding could be an early sign of digestive tract tumors (such as colorectal or gastric cancer). Studies have found that 87% of patients with digestive tract tumors have a positive fecal occult blood test. Since tumor bleeding is intermittent, a single test might miss the diagnosis. However, regular annual screening can significantly improve the detection rate of lesions. According to incomplete statistics, consistent FOBT screening can reduce colorectal cancer mortality by 10%-30%. Currently, many prevention guidelines strongly recommend it as a screening item.

Combined Testing Enhances Accuracy

Research shows that simultaneously testing for hemoglobin (Hb) and transferrin (Tf) can cover more bleeding scenarios and improve detection precision.

Transferrin is more stable in stool than hemoglobin, so testing for both can reduce false negatives caused by the disappearance of hemoglobin antigenicity. Combined testing offers the following advantages: strong specificity, high sensitivity, simple operation, one-step completion, and easy result interpretation.

Who Should Undergo This Test?

Individuals aged 40 and above should undergo fecal occult blood testing at least once a year.

If you have any of the following conditions, you should increase the frequency of fecal occult blood testing:

A. Family history of gastric or colorectal cancer.

B. History of colorectal cancer, colorectal adenoma, or post-polypectomy.

C. History of colitis.

D. History of gynecological malignancies with pelvic radiotherapy.

E. More than 10 years post-cholecystectomy.

F. Recurrent pernicious anemia.

G. Chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric polyps, or history of gastric surgery.

H. Males who are 20-25 kg overweight or smoke.

I. Helicobacter pylori infection: increases the risk of gastric cancer by 2-3 times.

Conclusion from Xiamen Baysen Medical 

We baysene Medical have FOB Test kit and Transferrin test kit  . Here We baysen meidcal always focus on diagnostic techniques to improve quality of live .