Question

The NAP reports that the Hemoccult test was positive. This means that:

A) The patient has colon cancer.
B) No further testing is required.
C) Absence of gastrointestinal bleeding.
D) The test result turned blue.

Answer 1

A positive Hemoccult test indicates the presence of occult blood in the stool and suggests the need for further investigation, such as a colonoscopy, but is not in itself a diagnosis of colon cancer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The NAP report indicating that the Hemoccult test was positive means that there is a presence of occult blood in the feces, which could be a sign of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. This result does not confirm that the patient has colon cancer, but it does warrant further testing, typically by a colonoscopy, to investigate the source of bleeding. While Hemoccult tests can be used in screening for colon cancer given that most colon cancers arise from polyps, a positive test result does not definitively diagnose cancer. Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, enabling not only the detection of cancerous changes but also the removal of precancerous polyps.