My FIT was positive — do I have cancer?

No — it means blood was found in the sample, which most often comes from benign causes like piles. It is a signal to do a colonoscopy to find the reason, not a cancer diagnosis.

Do I need to change my diet before a FIT test?

Modern FIT detects human blood specifically, so it usually needs no dietary restrictions — but always follow your kit’s instructions, as some tests do have caveats.

My screening test was normal — can I forget about bowel cancer?

Not quite. A normal result is reassuring but not a guarantee, because bleeding can be intermittent. Keep to the recommended screening interval and see a doctor if you develop symptoms.

When should I start bowel cancer screening in Singapore?

For average-risk adults, screening with FIT is generally recommended from around age 50, repeated yearly; those with a family history or symptoms may need earlier or different tests. Confirm current national guidance with HealthHub or your GP.

I collected the sample but there was blood I could see — should I still send it?

Send it, but also see a doctor: visible blood in the stool should always be assessed directly and should not be left to a home screening test alone.

Stool Tests Explained: FIT, Culture & What Results Mean

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 25 Aug 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Stool (faeces) tests examine a sample of your stool for hidden blood, infection, inflammation or digestion problems. They are simple, done at home or via a GP or polyclinic, and are a mainstay for two big jobs: screening for bowel (colorectal) cancer, and finding the cause of persistent diarrhoea or gut symptoms. A key reassurance: a positive result usually points to a common, benign cause and simply tells the doctor which next step is worth taking. In particular, a positive FIT is not a cancer diagnosis — it usually leads to a colonoscopy to find the reason.

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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.

Regardless of any test, see a doctor for visible blood in the stool, a persistent change in bowel habit, or unexplained weight loss — never assume it is “just piles.” Call 995 for heavy rectal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fainting, or signs of severe dehydration from diarrhoea.

What they are and why they are done

Stool tests look at your stool for signs of hidden blood, infection, inflammation or poor digestion. They are simple and often done with a home kit, and they serve two main purposes: screening healthy people for bowel cancer, and helping find the cause of gut symptoms such as persistent diarrhoea. Many are screening or clue-finding tools rather than final answers, and the results guide the next, more targeted step.

The types of stool test

The faecal immunochemical test (FIT), a modern form of the faecal occult blood test, checks for hidden blood in the stool that you cannot see; because it detects human blood specifically, it generally needs no dietary restrictions, though you should always follow the kit. It is a key bowel-cancer screening tool. Stool culture and infection tests look for bacteria, parasites and their eggs, and viruses in diarrhoea, to identify a specific bug and guide treatment. Faecal calprotectin is a marker of gut inflammation that helps distinguish inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes sparing people an unnecessary scope. Others include an H. pylori stool test and tests of digestion.

Bowel-cancer screening in Singapore

In Singapore, the national screening programme, Screen for Life, promoted by the Health Promotion Board, recommends regular FIT for average-risk adults from around age 50, done yearly, with kits available through the programme, polyclinics, participating CHAS GP clinics and the Singapore Cancer Society. These details — the age, interval and subsidies — are updated periodically, so check the current HPB or HealthHub guidance, and note that people with a family history or symptoms may need earlier or different tests. Our cancer screening guide covers the wider picture.

How to collect a sample

Follow the kit instructions exactly, as they vary by test. For FIT, you typically collect a tiny smear from a bowel motion using the probe provided, seal it in the tube and return it promptly, avoiding contamination with toilet water or urine. For culture or a test for parasites, collect during the illness and, where possible, before starting antibiotics, sometimes over several days. Wash your hands well, do not let the sample touch the toilet water, and store or return it as directed. Menstrual bleeding, bleeding piles or a nosebleed can affect a hidden-blood test, so note or postpone if relevant.

What results mean and their limits

A positive FIT means blood was detected — it is not a cancer diagnosis, and most positive results turn out to be benign causes such as haemorrhoids, small tears or polyps, which is why it leads to a colonoscopy to find the source. A negative or normal screen does not guarantee there is no problem, because bleeding can be intermittent or a lesion may not be bleeding on the day, so keep to your screening interval and report new symptoms even if your last test was clear. Calprotectin and infection results are read with the clinical picture, and screening is not the same as diagnosis: it finds people who need a closer look, while the colonoscopy or other test actually diagnoses the cause.

Red flags regardless of any test

Certain symptoms need a doctor whatever a stool test shows, and should never be assumed to be “just piles.” Visible blood in the stool, whether red or black and tarry, should always be assessed; so should a persistent change in bowel habit lasting more than a couple of weeks, unexplained weight loss, ongoing tiredness that could reflect anaemia, or a persistent abdominal lump or pain — and these warrant review even if a recent FIT was negative. Our blood in the stool and colorectal cancer guides cover this. Heavy rectal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fainting or signs of severe dehydration are 995 situations.

Getting tested in Singapore

Stool tests are arranged through a GP or polyclinic, or via the national FIT screening programme, and results are explained by the ordering doctor. HealthHub and HPB provide general information. The two messages worth keeping are that a positive FIT is a prompt for a colonoscopy rather than a cancer diagnosis, and that worrying bowel symptoms deserve a doctor even when a screening test was clear.

Related tests & diagnostics topics

Sources

NHS — Bowel cancer screening: nhs.uk
Agency for Care Effectiveness (MOH Singapore): ace-hta.gov.sg
HealthHub Singapore: healthhub.sg

General information only. This guide explains what a test is and what to expect — it is not a diagnosis. A test result must be interpreted by a doctor in the context of your history, symptoms and other results, so do not diagnose yourself from a single number. Reference (“normal”) ranges vary between laboratories and between people, an out-of-range result is often not serious, and a normal result does not always exclude a problem. Discuss your results with the doctor who ordered them. Call 995 for a medical emergency such as severe chest pain, sudden severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse.

Stool Tests Explained (Singapore)