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Hello, I’m Dr. Roberto Azcarraga, part of the Primary Care team at Kaiser Permanente
in Northern California.
“What a drag! I can do this some other time. I feel fine, anyways… Why should I take
this test?”
Does this sound familiar? Many of our patients say similar things when told they need to
do a colorectal cancer screening test called the FIT – or fecal immunochemical test – a
brief test that you can do at home that checks for blood in the stool.
Why is it important? Well, many of us go to the doctor only when we get sick. You may
feel healthy and think, therefore, that you don’t need to do this test. But think twice.
The test may show tiny amounts of blood in the stool that you cannot see. It may indicate
small growths in the colon that could turn into cancer.
If colon cancer is found early, it is 90% curable. But, the only way to find the early
signs of colorectal cancer is to get tested. In addition to the FIT test, your doctor may
recommend another screening test called a colonoscopy.
Men and women between the ages of 50 and 75 need to take the FIT test every year.
This quick test can save your life. It’s one of the many preventive services available
to you that’s meant to keep you healthy. Get screened today, so you can live a long
and happy life and be there for your family.
Learn more about the FIT test by stopping by the Health Education Center at your local
Kaiser Permanente facility. Register at kp.org/mydoctor to gain access to secure features like emailing
your doctor. If you prefer to view this and other health information in Spanish you can
visit our dedicated website.