He E, et al. - Researchers analyzed the associations, both before and after screening, of fecal occult blood testing (FOBt) positivity with 10 conditions that are often related to gastrointestinal bleeding. Study participants included 604,495 women without previous colorectal cancer who participated in their first routine FOBt screening between 2006 and 2012. These women were identified by electronically linking the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) and Million Women Study records. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) in FOBt-positive vs FOBt-negative women were obtained for colorectal cancer, adenoma, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids, upper gastrointestinal cancer, esophagitis, peptic ulcer, anemia, and other hematological disorders by applying regression models via linked national hospital admission records. Overall, the investigators noted an association of FOBt positivity with a substantially increased risk of colorectal neoplasms after screening. Also, both before and after screening, eight other gastrointestinal and hematological conditions were found to be related to FOBt positivity.