Normally, almost no blood is present in the stool (up to 2 ml of blood per 24 hours). Presence of blood indicates bleeding somewhere in the intestinal tract. This can have a trivial cause such as hemorrhoids or anal fissures, but it can also be a sign of more serious conditions such as gastric or duodenal ulcers (ulcers) or colon cancer.

Your sample will be tested with the Actim® FecalBlood test. More information on this can be found in the attachments below. It is important to realize that this is a screening test and not a diagnostic test.

We recommend annual bowel movements.

Presence of blood indicates bleeding somewhere in the intestinal tract

Normally, almost no blood is present in the stool (up to 2 ml of blood per 24 hours). Presence of blood indicates bleeding somewhere in the intestinal tract. This can have a trivial cause such as hemorrhoids or anal fissures, but it can also be a sign of more serious conditions such as gastric or duodenal ulcers (ulcers) or colon cancer. If there is substantial blood loss in a short period of time (50-75 mL of blood), this will be seen by a dark to black discoloration of the stool. We often see this in bleeding ulcers. Severe bleeding in the lower part of the intestinal tract then again colors the stool bright red. In cases of problems at the level of the anus, such as hemorrhoids or anal fissures, there may be streaks of blood in the stool or blood on the toilet paper.

Early diagnosis of colon cancer is very important

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of death. Bowel cancer occurs mainly in people over the age of 50. In addition, individuals in whom colon cancer runs in the family also have an increased risk. If the disease is detected early enough, 95% of patients are cured. So early diagnosis of colon cancer is very important. Moreover, treatment will also be easier.
This is why screening is so important.

In Flanders, there is a population screening for colorectal cancer: all Flemish people aged 51 to 74 are invited every two years to be tested for colorectal cancer. It is estimated that about 400 deaths due to colon cancer can be prevented annually by this population screening.

In colon cancer or its precursor stages (polyps), however, we often see very minor and persistent bleeding. Such minor bleeding hardly changes the appearance of the stool, if at all. One speaks in this case of “hidden”, also called “occult” blood loss. You can detect this type of blood loss only with a laboratory test for stool bleeding. The most appropriate test is the iFOB test offered through this panel: this involves a very sensitive search for blood cells in the stool through immunological methods.

However, do you not belong to this target group or would like to be tested annually? You can easily do so through a test that examines the presence of blood in your stool.

Your sample will be tested with the Actim® FecalBlood test. More information on this can be found in the attachments below.

It is important to realize that this is a screening test and not a diagnostic test:

How do I take a chair passage sample?

This test is best done on a fresh seat passage sample. We need about 1 to 3 grams in a clean jar. Bowel movements with admixture of urine or water from the toilet are not suitable. Also avoid stool samples collected in the period from 3 days before to 3 days after menstruation (admixture of menstrual blood), collected during active bleeding hemorrhoids (red mark on toilet paper) or after rectal administration of medication (suppositories) because false positive results may occur in these cases.

You can eat anything. The test measures only human blood, so no blood of animal origin.

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