Faecal Occult Blood Test
Faecal Immunochemical Test

Whether this approach offers advantages over faecal occult blood testing remains to be established.

Faecal occult blood testing was not done.

Faecal occult blood testing is usually positive.

This may explain the predominance of rectosigmoid cancers detected by faecal occult blood testing.

Faecal occult blood testing is the only realistic method available today for periodic screening of people deemed to be at average risk of colorectal cancer.

While faecal occult blood testing is likely to prove the most cost effective method of screening large populations, genetic tests could initially be targeted at selected high risk groups.

The lack of specificity of faecal occult blood testing also results in large numbers of unnecessary colonic evaluations, adding greatly to the cost of such programmes.

Despite this, only 50% of cancers in this group were actually detected by faecal occult blood testing, the remainder arose as symptomatic cancers in the period between screenings.

Hewitson P, Glasziou P, Irwig L, et al.: Screening for colorectal cancer using the faecal occult blood test, Hemoccult.

Kronborg O, Jørgensen OD, Fenger C, et al.: Randomized study of biennial screening with a faecal occult blood test: results after nine screening rounds.

Burch JA, Soares-Weiser K, St John DJ, et al.: Diagnostic accuracy of faecal occult blood tests used in screening for colorectal cancer: a systematic review.

Duke's A and B lesions account for our 75% of cancers detected in asymptomatic individuals by initial faecal occult blood testing, while less than 50% of symptomatic patients are comparably staged at diagnosis.

Jørgensen OD, Kronborg O, Fenger C: A randomised study of screening for colorectal cancer using faecal occult blood testing: results after 13 years and seven biennial screening rounds.

A systematic review of studies until September 2006 concluded that the examination does result in better delivery of some other screening interventions (such as Pap smears, cholesterol screening, and faecal occult blood tests) and less patient worry.

The decrease in mortality in the Minnessota study may relate to the high percentage of colonoscopies performed rather than the faecal occult blood testing per se and if so, lends support to the concept of endocsopic screening as proposed by Atkin.

Faecal occult blood testing was not used as an entry criteria nor was its usefulness assessed during this study as the investigations to locate a possible source of bleeding would have been pursued even if faecal occult blood tests had been negative.