FOB full form in medical term is Fecal Occult Blood. This term means the availability of small amounts of blood in stool that is not visibly transparent. A fecal occult blood test detects hidden blood in the stool for various conditions such as polyps, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Having blood in stool indicates that there is bleeding in the digestive tract. It may be due to a variety of issues, such as Ulcers (s0res in the lining of the digestive tract), polyps (abnormal development on the lining of the rectum), haemorrhoids (swollen veins in the rectum or anus), colorectal cancer (a kind of cancer that begins in the rectum or colon), diverticulosis, etc.
During the test, a small sample of stool is taken for the availability of blood with the help of laboratory methods and chemical reagents. The fecal Occult Blood test is one of the effective ways of colon cancer screening.
This test helps screen and detect colorectal cancer before your signs and symptoms appear. This may be accomplished when other issues concern bleeding in the digestive tract.