FIT Kits and their Results

How to Take the FIT

Have all of your supplies ready and in one place. Supplies include:

• Laboratory requisition
• Green capped sampling bottle
• Zip lock bag and cloth
• Collection paper
• Mailing envelope

Instructions: 

Click here for video instructions, available in Dene, Cree and English.

• Remove the sampling bottle from the package.
  Ensure that the name and date of birth are correct on the bottle. If it is not correct, contact eHealth at 1-800-667-7551 or change@ehealthsask.ca.
• Flush the toilet and then place the supplied collection paper inside the toilet bowl.
• Have your bowel movement on top of the collection paper or in a disposable clean, dry container.
• Open the green cap of the sampling container with a gentle twist and pull.
• Scrape the surface of the stool sample with the grooved portion of the green sampling wand before the paper sinks and stool touches the water in the toilet bowl. Only a small sample of stool is required.
• Insert the sampling wand back into the container and snap the green cap on tightly. Do not reopen.
• Wrap the sample container in the cloth and place it into the zip lock bag. Place the bag into the return envelope.
• Write the date you collected the sample on the laboratory requisition and place the form in the return envelope with your sample and seal the envelope shut.

Return the FIT

• Return the envelope to an indoor Canada Post retail outlet or the nearest medical laboratory as soon as possible. A list of lab drop off locations is available below. 
• The test is time and temperature sensitive. The test should not be frozen. Do not place the test in an outdoor mailbox.

Understanding Your FIT Results

The Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory will analyze your test and forward the results to the Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer. The screening program will notify you and your healthcare provider of the results of the FIT.

What if my screening result is normal?

A normal result means that blood was not found in your stool. The test should be repeated every two years. The screening program will send you another letter and test kit in two years' time.

What does it mean if my screening result is unsatisfactory?

This means that your sample could not be analyzed. There are several reasons why the sample could be unsatisfactory for testing, e.g., if you did not include the date that you collected the sample on the laboratory requisition or if the sample container had expired. If the result is unsatisfactory, the screening program will send you a new FIT kit so you can retake the test.

What if my screening result is abnormal?

An abnormal result means that blood was found in your stool. The screening program will send the results to your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider or the screening program's nurse navigator will contact you about the appropriate follow-up care, which may include a colonoscopy.

For more information about your FIT result, please contact your healthcare provider or call the screening program toll free at 1-855-292-2202.

If You Need Further Testing

If you had an abnormal FIT result, the Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer nurse navigator or your healthcare provider will contact you about appropriate follow-up care.

What follow-up tests will I need to have?

In most cases, your healthcare provider will request a colonoscopy, which is a visual examination of the colon using a fiber optic endoscope. A colonoscopy can detect inflamed tissue, ulcers and abnormal growths. There are also other diagnostic tests that your healthcare provider may request.

What happens during a colonoscopy?

During a colonoscopy, patients lie on their left side on an examination table. In most cases, a light sedative, and possibly pain medication, is given to help patients relax. The doctor inserts a long, flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope, or scope, into the anus and slowly guides it through the rectum and into the colon. The large bowel is inflated with air, carbon dioxide or water to give better views. A small camera mounted on the scope transmits a video image from inside the large intestine to a computer screen, allowing the doctor to carefully examine the intestinal lining. Your colonoscopist or the nurse navigator will provide detailed information regarding your procedure or test.

What if the doctor sees a growth during a colonoscopy?

A doctor can remove growths, called polyps, during a colonoscopy and have the sample tested for signs of cancer. Polyps are common in adults and are usually harmless. However, most colorectal cancers begin as a polyp, so removing polyps early is an effective way to prevent cancer.

How will I know the results of my colonoscopy?

Your healthcare provider will receive the results of your colonoscopy and help to arrange further care if it is needed.

What if the result of the sample taken shows signs of cancer?

Your healthcare provider will review the results of your test with you and discuss the available treatment options.

What if my colonoscopy is normal?

If the results of your colonoscopy are normal, you can return to the screening program for regular screening as long as you remain eligible. You will not have to do anything. The screening program will send you a FIT kit when you are scheduled for your next screening test.

Your Next FIT

The Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer will send you a letter and kit when you are scheduled for your next screening test.

I have moved/I am planning to move. How do I make sure my test kits and letters come to my new address?

Please update your address by calling 1-800-667-7551, emailing change@ehealthsask.ca or online at www.ehealthsask.ca.

Can I choose to not participate in the screening program?

Yes, you can choose not to participate in the program. Please discuss your options with your healthcare provider before making a final decision. You can also contact us if you have additional questions.