Why is fecal occult blood test important?

Cancer: Blood in stool represents bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. It needs be investigated by a GI specialist, especially to exclude colon cancer.

If positive: Can be the earliest warning sign of an early cancer or polyps.Early detection at this stage where this is the only symptom is usually associated with a 90-95% survival rate. Waiting until other symptoms develop results in a significant reduction in cure rates.