All Checked Up
March 30, 2026
There are several methods used to screen for bowel cancer. The most accurate and widely accepted is the quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test (qFIT) and this test is used in the UK’s national bowel cancer screening programme.
In this article, we will look at:
The bowel forms part of the digestive system and is the link between the stomach and the anus. It is split into two parts referred to as the small bowel and large bowel. Bowel cancer is cancer which starts in the large bowel (colon and rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and causes 16,800 deaths in the UK every year (which equates to 46 deaths every day). This makes it the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
Cancer Research UK
Bowel cancer is however one of the most treatable cancers with 97% of people surviving for five years or more when caught in its early stage
There are some signs and symptoms you can look out for which may indicate bowel cancer. You should not automatically assume these symptoms mean you have bowel cancer as these symptoms can also be the result of other bowel conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, ulcers and haemorrhoids to name a few.
Read our article on the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and risk factors for bowel cancer. You can also watch the short video below to learn more about our Bowel Cancer Screening quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test (qFIT)
The quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test (qFIT) test is a highly accurate quantitative stool sample test which screens for Bowel Cancer. It does not specifically diagnose bowel cancer, but is a type of faecal occult blood test which is specific for the lower GI tract. It uses antibodies specific to human haemoglobin to detect small traces of blood in stools which cannot normally be seen visually.
The quantitative FIT Test is the only recommended test in the UK by NICE for first line screening for Bowel Cancer.
NICE DG30 Guidelines
It is a very accurate test for detecting early signs of Bowel Cancer.
The qFIT test normally measures the amount of blood in micrograms (µg) per gram (g) of stool sample.
According to NICE, a qFIT result which is 10 µg or above of blood per gram of stool is considered abnormal (or a positive result) and further investigation should be undertaken to find out what may be causing blood to be in the stool. This might include a colonoscopy, which can look at the bowel itself.
If you have a positive qFIT test result, this does not mean you have bowel cancer. The qFIT test cannot diagnose bowel cancer, it can only detect tiny amounts of blood in the stool which could also be caused by other conditions as discussed earlier in this article.
A test that looks for inflammation in the bowel is recommended alongside the qFIT test. This test looks for a protein called Calprotectin, which is found in the stool when you have inflammation of the gut. You can buy a test that looks for Calprotectin in your stool which may indicate conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease
If you have a qFIT test result which is 10 µg/g or above (the cut-off value), then you should speak with your GP for guidance on getting this investigated further.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme uses a much higher cut-off value (between 80µg/g – 150µg/g depending on where you live). Therefore if you are experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer, you should speak with your GP even if you have recently had a negative FIT test result through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board & Cancer Research UK
The qFIT test has been used in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme since 2016. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is designed to screen an asymptomatic population and uses a much higher cut-off value. This varies between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England this is 120 μg/g, Scotland 80 μg/g and Wales 150 μg/g (which is set to be reduced to 80 μgHb/g by 2023). This means that only results which are over these respective values will be treated as a positive result for further investigation.
It is advised that if you are experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer you should speak with your GP even if you have recently had a negative FIT test result through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
The All Checked Up Bowel Cancer Screening test is a quantitative faecal immunochemical test (qFIT) that is run on the same machine used in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (OC Sensor PLEDIA). We use the NICE recommended cut-off value of 10 μg/g for reporting any positive result. We will also provide a free referral letter which you can provide to your GP to get further testing
A positive quantitative FIT test result may be caused by several other gut-related conditions such as gastritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A positive result may also be due to haemorrhoids or peptic ulcers.
This is why it is important to do further tests following a positive quantitative FIT test result to find out the cause of the blood in your stool. A colonoscopy is usually performed following a positive quantitative FIT test result as this allows your Doctor to investigate the gut itself to see if there are any polyps or tumours.
It might also be useful to do a full blood count blood test as this will be able to detect your Haemoglobin (Hb) level. Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that binds to oxygen. The haemoglobin level is an indicator of the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, so a reduced Haemoglobin level may indicate a leak of oxygen somewhere, but it can also indicate conditions such as anaemia. You can learn more about your full blood count blood test
Haemorrhoids may cause a positive quantitative FIT test result. This is why it’s important to wait until there is no active bleeding from haemorrhoids before doing a qFIT test to make sure your result is reliable
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining that usually occurs due to a viral or bacterial infection such as H. Pylori. It is different from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as it is usually not a chronic condition.
A positive quantitative FIT test result may also be due to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD is a long-term autoimmune condition characterised by inflammation of the digestive tract (gut). The inflammation may occur anywhere in the digestive system (known as Chron’s disease) or it may be just focused on the large intestine (known as Ulcerative colitis).
Symptoms of IBD include diarrhoea and constipation, fatigue, dehydration, bloating, wind and Bowel incontinence and urgency.
If you are having symptoms of IBD it’s important to check if you may have the disease as IBD often requires treatment to control the inflammation and it may cause complications if unaddressed. IBD is different to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but symptoms may be very similar.
You can get an All Checked Up Gut Inflammation stool home test which can detect inflammation in your gut that may indicate IBD. The test looks for a protein called Calprotectin, a protein found in the stool during intestinal inflammation.
Quantitative self-collect stool test detecting inflammation in the Gut by measuring the protein Calprotectin which may indicate Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
References
[1] https://gps.northcentrallondon.icb.nhs.uk/services/faecal-immunochemical-test-fit
[2] https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/diagnosis/primary-care/primary-care-investigations/fit-symptomatic
[3] https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/bowel-screening/background-information/the-nhs-bowel-screening-programme/
[4] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/dg30/chapter/3-The-diagnostic-tests
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