You can view your FIT results online through your MyChart account or by speaking to your healthcare provider. Sign up for MyChart by creating a verified Alberta.ca Account and registering for MyHealth Records. MyChart allows you to view your personal health information, book appointments, access test results and communicate with your care team.

If you’re aged 50 to 74 and do not have a MyChart account: You’ll receive your FIT result by mail or you’ll receive a phone call from a nurse at Primary Care Alberta.  

If you’re younger than 50 or over 74:

Your ordering healthcare provider will let you know your FIT result directly.

A normal FIT result means no blood was found in your stool (poop).

When should I do my next FIT?

If your FIT result is normal, continue to get screened with FIT every year. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider sooner if you have any symptoms or concerns.

Changes in your family history

It’s important to let your healthcare provider know if there are any changes in your family history such as polyps or colorectal cancer. These kinds of health changes in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) may change when you should get screened again and which test may be right for you.

An abnormal FIT result means blood was found in your stool (poop). While most people with an abnormal result do not have cancer, more testing is needed to find the cause of the bleeding. Most often the recommended follow-up test is a colonoscopy¹.

What should I do next?

It’s important that you make an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss your abnormal FIT result. Talk with your healthcare provider about whether a colonoscopy is the right test for you.

What if I don’t have a healthcare provider (for example, a family doctor)? 

You can do any of the following:

• Find a healthcare provider accepting new patients and book an appointment. You can visit Alberta Find a provider or call Health Link at 811.
• Make an appointment at a walk-in-clinic. Some communities have walk-in-clinics that don’t require an appointment. Walk-in clinics are staffed by family doctors. To find a walk-in-clinic near you consult your Yellow Pages directory at yp.ca or call Health Link at 811.
• If you have questions or need further assistance, call the Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program toll-free at 1-866-727-3926.

What causes an abnormal FIT result?

A FIT can only detect blood in the stool (poop). It can’t identify the reason why there was blood in your stool. Blood can be in the stool for many reasons and does not always mean you have cancer or pre-cancerous polyps. For example, blood can be in the stool because of hemorrhoids or other conditions. When blood is found in your stool, it’s important to find the cause. In most cases, a colonoscopy is recommended. You will need to get a referral from your healthcare provider for a colonoscopy.

What is a colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy allows the doctor to look at the inner lining of your rectum and colon (bowel) using a thin, flexible tube with a small video camera on the end of it. The test takes about 30 to 40 minutes. You can get medicine to make you comfortable during the colonoscopy.

Why is a follow-up colonoscopy recommended?

A colonoscopy can help find the cause of blood in your stool. Having a follow-up colonoscopy can prevent colorectal cancer by helping your healthcare provider find and remove polyps (small abnormal growths) before they turn into cancer. When colorectal cancer is found early, it can be more successfully treated. About 90% of cases are successfully treated if found early².

1.  Colorectal Cancer Screening Clinical Practice Guideline. Toward Optimized Practice. November 2013.
2.  Surveillance & Reporting. Cancer Research & Analytics, Alberta Health Services.

Your colonoscopy results will be discussed with you after the test. If polyps are found, it’s important that you make an appointment with your healthcare provider to review your results and find out what follow-up is needed.

Your healthcare provider will get a copy of your final colonoscopy report, usually within 6 to 8 weeks. This report will include the lab results for any polyps removed during the test and a recommendation for when to get screened again. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider to review the final recommendation if you haven’t heard from them within 8 weeks following your colonoscopy.

If colorectal cancer is found or suspected during your colonoscopy, your healthcare provider or colonoscopist will discuss this with you before you go home.  Once all your lab tests come back, your healthcare provider will discuss treatment options with you.

Changes in your family health history

Family history is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. If there are health changes such as polyps or colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child), let your healthcare provider know. This information may change when you need to get screened again.

If you’re diagnosed with an adenoma or colorectal cancer, it’s important to let your first-degree relatives know. Ask them to speak to their healthcare provider about their risk and need to screen for colorectal cancer.