How often should the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) be performed during screening?

How often should the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) be performed during screening?

• A. Every 2 years
• B. Annually
• C. Every 5 years
• D. Once

Answer: (B)

Regular annual FIT testing is used because the test looks for occult blood in stool, which can indicate a polyp or cancer, and bleeding from such lesions can be intermittent. A single negative result doesn’t guarantee there’s no disease, so repeating the test every year keeps screening ongoing and increases the likelihood of detecting a lesion as it develops. If a FIT result is positive, a follow-up colonoscopy is needed for diagnosis and possible removal of polyps. Longer intervals or testing only once would miss cancers or advanced polyps that develop after the initial screen.

Regular annual FIT testing is used because the test looks for occult blood in stool, which can indicate a polyp or cancer, and bleeding from such lesions can be intermittent. A single negative result doesn’t guarantee there’s no disease, so repeating the test every year keeps screening ongoing and increases the likelihood of detecting a lesion as it develops. If a FIT result is positive, a follow-up colonoscopy is needed for diagnosis and possible removal of polyps. Longer intervals or testing only once would miss cancers or advanced polyps that develop after the initial screen.