Abnormal FIT Test Colonoscopy Ontario: What Happens Next?
Receiving an abnormal FIT result can be worrying, but an abnormal result does not automatically mean that you have colorectal cancer. An abnormal FIT test colonoscopy Ontario patients may be referred for is a follow-up investigation designed to find out why blood was detected in the stool.
FIT, or the fecal immunochemical test, is used in Ontario to screen for small amounts of blood in stool. Blood can have several possible causes, which is why an abnormal result requires further investigation rather than being treated as a diagnosis.
Ontario currently recommends FIT screening every two years for eligible average-risk adults aged 45 to 74. The province lowered the starting age from 50 to 45 on July 1, 2026.
Abnormal FIT Test Colonoscopy Ontario: Why Is It Recommended?
An abnormal FIT means that blood was detected in the stool sample. It does not identify the cause of the bleeding.
Ontario’s screening guidance states that an abnormal result does not necessarily mean that a person has colon cancer or pre-cancerous polyps. However, further testing is needed to investigate the result.
For this reason, a colonoscopy is usually recommended after an abnormal FIT.
A colonoscopy allows a physician to directly examine the lining of the colon and rectum. If a polyp or another abnormality is found, the physician may be able to remove a polyp or take a tissue sample during the same examination.
How Soon Should a Colonoscopy Happen?
Ontario’s ColonCancerCheck program recommends that patients receive a follow-up colonoscopy within eight weeks of an abnormal FIT result.
The purpose of this follow-up is to investigate the source of the blood and determine whether any further treatment or monitoring is required.
An abnormal FIT should therefore not simply be ignored or treated as something that can be checked again later without medical advice.
Does an Abnormal FIT Mean Cancer?
No.
Blood in the stool can have different causes, and an abnormal FIT alone cannot determine whether colorectal cancer is present.
The follow-up colonoscopy provides a much more detailed examination of the bowel. It can identify polyps, inflammation and other abnormalities and can allow the physician to obtain tissue for further examination when appropriate.
The purpose of the colonoscopy is therefore to investigate the abnormal screening result, not to assume that the patient has cancer.
What Happens After the Colonoscopy?
What happens next depends on the findings.
Some patients may have a normal colonoscopy. Others may have polyps or another abnormality that requires further investigation or treatment.
Ontario’s current screening guidance explains that follow-up after colonoscopy depends on the findings and the patient’s individual risk. For example, people at increased risk because of family history may have different surveillance recommendations from people at average risk.
Your physician will explain the results and recommend the appropriate next step.
Colonoscopy After an Abnormal FIT in Woodbridge
Mackenzie Endoscopy Centre provides colonoscopy services from its outpatient facility at 3865 Major MacKenzie Dr. W., Units 109-110, in Woodbridge, Ontario. The centre provides specialist gastrointestinal services including colonoscopy, gastroscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy.
If you have received an abnormal FIT result, speak with your family doctor or nurse practitioner about the appropriate referral.
An abnormal FIT result should be taken seriously, but it should not be interpreted as a cancer diagnosis. The purpose of the follow-up colonoscopy is to investigate the result and identify whether there is a condition that requires treatment, monitoring or further testing.