Faecal immunochemical test outside colorectal cancer screening?

Table 1 Clinical guidelines and recommendations on colorectal cancer diagnosis that include the use of faecal immunochemical test in primary healthcare

Guideline	Year	Criteria to use FIT
NICE DG 30 United Kingdom[16]	2017	People without rectal bleeding who have unexplained symptoms but do not meet the criteria for a suspected cancer pathway referral outlined in NICE's guideline on suspected cancer
Australia[38]	2018	In people with symptoms other than overt rectal bleeding, FIT can be used as part of the diagnostic assessment in primary healthcare. It is of particular use in the following circumstances to support diagnostic assessment and notify the urgency of colonoscopy: people over 50 yr with either unexplained weight loss or abdominal pain; and people under 60 yr with either altered bowel habit or anaemia
Spain[5]	2018	Patients with lower gastrointestinal symptoms of recent onset who do not meet criteria for referral without delay to a specialist service due to high suspicion of CRC (rectal or abdominal mass, rectal bleeding or iron-deficiency anaemia) should undergo a FIT
NICE NG12 United Kingdom[17]	2021	Offer FIT to assess for CRC in adults without rectal bleeding who: Are aged 50 and over with unexplained abdominal pain or weight loss, or are aged under 60 with changes in their bowel habit, or iron-deficiency anaemia, or are aged 60 and over and have anaemia even in the absence of iron deficiency

CRC: Colorectal cancer; DG: Diagnostics guidance; FIT: Faecal immunochemical test; NG: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline; NICE: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.