Colorectal cancer screening | Professionnals and institutions

iFOBT prescription

• The attending physician must give the patient a prescription.
  
  

Specimen collection kit

• The patient goes to the test centre closest to his/her home to obtain a kit and instructions for taking the sample.
• Test centre personnel give the patient a kit, explanations, and instructions to follow.
• Before giving a patient a kit, check its expiry date and lot number.
     

Information to write on the specimen tube

The patient must clearly print the following information on the label on the specimen tube.

• Last and first names
• Birth date
• Date the specimen was taken
   

Handing in the specimen collection kit

Once the patient has obtained a sample, he/she must:

• Keep the specimen in the refrigerator until it can be taken to the test centre (where they obtained the kit);
• Take the specimen along with the physician’s prescription to the test centre as soon as possible, within 48 hours at most of taking the sample.
  
  

Prescription for an iFOBT test (FIT test): Information that must be written on the prescription

The physician must write the following information on the iFOBT prescription before giving it to the patient.

• Name of the analysis: iFOBT (immunochemical fecal occult blood test)
• Patient’s last and first names
• RAMQ (health insurance card) number
• Patient’s gender
• Physician’s name (legible, printed or in capital letters)
• Physician’s practice address and telephone number
• Physician’s license number and signature
• Date the prescription is issued

  

In case of menstrual period or bleeding hemorrhoids

These two situations can cause false positive during stool sample analysis. To prevent this, we recommend that patients menstruating wait until their period ends. In documented cases of bleeding hemorrhoids, it is recommend that patients wait until the bleeding subsides before taking the test.

Specimen analysis and the forwarding of results

• The requesting institution sends the specimen to the CHUS as per its transportation agreements.
• The results will be sent to the requesting institution through regional labs within 7 days of the specimen’s arrival at the CHUS’ laboratory.
• It is the requesting institution’s responsibility to send the results to the physician.

As a guide, here is an example of the analysis report providedCHUS cancer colorectal rapport analyse Test RSOSi. [French only]

  

Preparing samples to be sent to the CHUS

1. Ensure that the following information is clearly indicated on the iFOBT test prescription

• Name of the analysis: iFOBT
• Patient’s last and first names
• RAMQ (health insurance card) number
• Patient’s gender
• Physician’s name (printed or in capital letters)
• Physician’s practice address and telephone number
• Physician’s license number and signature
• Date the prescription is issued

      

2. Ensure that the following information is clearly indicated on each iFOBT specimen collection tube

• Last and first names
• Birth date
• Date the specimen was taken  

 

3. Each time samples are sent to the CHUS, assemble the following information on a work list (if used)

• Patient’s last and first names
• Patient’s gender
• Date the specimen was taken
• RAMQ (health insurance card) number
• Last and first names of the prescribing physician
• Name, address, telephone and fax numbers of the requesting institution
• Name and telephone number of a contact person

 

4. Expiration Date

• The collection kits have an expiration date. So limit your inventory.
• Before giving the patient a specimen collection kit, check the expiration date and lot number on the specimen collection tube.

   

5. Keep the samples at a temperature of 4°C until they are sent to the CHUS (maximum 7 days)

  

Transporting specimens to the CHUS

1. Use your usual means of transporting specimens.

2. Place the iFOBT samples in the same watertight container if the number of tubes to be sent allows it, and separate them from the other specimens.

3. Keep the specimens at a temperature of 4°C throughout transport.

4. Arrange the specimens in the order indicated on the work list.

5. Fill out a dispatch confirmation sheet with the following information: Last name, first name, and telephone number of a contact person at the requesting institution Contact information for the requesting institution (name, address, telephone, fax numbers, etc.) Number of patients corresponding with the package sent Number of samples in the package sent Date the package is sent

6. Print “iFOBT” on each box, as well as the name of a contact person with his or her telephone number.

7. Address to: CHUS - Hôpital Fleurimont iFOBT Laboratory (RSOSi), Door 3424-1 3001 12th Avenue N. Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4