Guaiac Faecal Occult Blood Test Research Articles

Mailed Outreach Is Superior to Usual Care Alone for Colorectal Cancer Screening in the USA: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Mailed outreach promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a stool blood test kit may increase participation, but magnitude and consistency of benefit of this intervention strategy is uncertain. Our aim was toconduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing mailed outreach offering stool tests to usual care, clinic-based screening offers on CRC screening uptake in the USA. We performed a systematic literature search of five databases for RCTs of mailed outreach from January 1980 through June 2017. Primary outcome was screening completion, summarized using random-effects meta-analysis as pooled differences in proportion completing the screening and relative risk of achieving screening compared to control. Subgroup analyses by test type offered-fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT), the presence of telephone reminders, and the presence of predominant underserved/minority population within study were performed. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE framework. Seven RCTs which enrolled 12,501 subjects were included (n = 5703 assigned mailed outreach and n = 6798 usual care). Mailed outreach resulted in a 28% absolute (95% CI 25-30%; I2 = 47%) and a 2.8-fold relative (RR 2.65, 95% CI 2.03-3.45; I2 = 92%) increase in screening completion compared to usual care, with a number needed to invite estimated to be 3.6. Similar outcomes were observed across subgroups. Overall body of evidence was at moderate quality. Mailed outreach offering a gFOBT or FIT is associated with a large and consistent increase in CRC screening completion and should be considered for more widespread implementation for improving screening rates nationwide.

Early Detection for Colorectal Cancer: ASCO Resource-Stratified Guideline.

PURPOSETo provide resource-stratified, evidence-based recommendations on the early detection of colorectal cancer in four tiers to clinicians, patients, and caregivers.METHODSAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology convened a multidisciplinary, multinational panel of medical oncology, surgical oncology, surgery, gastroenterology, health technology assessment, cancer epidemiology, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and patient advocacy experts. The Expert Panel reviewed existing guidelines and conducted a modified ADAPTE process and a formal consensus-based process with additional experts (Consensus Ratings Group) for two round(s) of formal ratings.RESULTSExisting sets of guidelines from eight guideline developers were identified and reviewed; adapted recommendations form the evidence base. These guidelines, along with cost-effectiveness analyses, provided evidence to inform the formal consensus process, which resulted in agreement of 75% or more.CONCLUSIONIn nonmaximal settings, for people who are asymptomatic, are ages 50 to 75 years, have no family history of colorectal cancer, are at average risk, and are in settings with high incidences of colorectal cancer, the following screening options are recommended: guaiac fecal occult blood test and fecal immunochemical testing (basic), flexible sigmoidoscopy (add option in limited), and colonoscopy (add option in enhanced). Optimal reflex testing strategy for persons with positive screens is as follows: endoscopy; if not available, barium enema (basic or limited). Management of polyps in enhanced is as follows: colonoscopy, polypectomy; if not suitable, then surgical resection. For workup and diagnosis of people with symptoms, physical exam with digital rectal examination, double contrast barium enema (only in basic and limited); colonoscopy; flexible sigmoidoscopy with biopsy (if contraindication to latter) or computed tomography colonography if contraindications to two endoscopies (enhanced only).

Fecal occult blood test in colorectal cancer screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Cancer screening is known to decrease mortality from CRC. One important test for CRC screening is the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), which includes guaiac FOBT and fecal immunological tests. In this review we discussed the development and application of the FOBT in CRC screening.

Comparison of a New-generation Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) With Guaiac Fecal Occult Blood Test (gFOBT) in Detecting Colorectal Neoplasia Among Colonoscopy-referral Patients.

The aim of the present study was to compare fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with the traditional guaiac-based FOB tests (gFOBT). A cohort of 368 colonoscopy-referral patients were evaluated by i) the new-generation FIT: ColonView quick test (CV; Biohit Oyj, Finland) and ii) a conventional gFOBT HemoccultSENSA (HS; Beckman Coulter, USA). Three fecal samples were requested for both assays, and all subjects underwent diagnostic colonoscopy with biopsy confirmation. Sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under curve (AUC) were calculated for both tests using three endpoints: adenoma (A), advanced adenoma (AA) and adenocarcinoma (AC). Colonoscopy and biopsies disclosed normal mucosa in 90/378 (24.5%) subjects, early A in 108/368 (29.3%) cases, AA in 48/368 (13.0%) and AC in 37/368 (10.1%), and non-neoplastic conditions in the remaining 85 (30.3%). For the AC endpoint, the CV (Hb/Hp) test had 94.6% SE and 65.1% SP (AUC=0.799), while the HS test had SE of 75.7% and SP of 84.3% (AUC=0.800). For the A endpoint, the difference between CV and HS was even more pronounced; SE of 44.2% and 19.2%, respectively (p<0.0001). Hb and Hb/Hp complex of the CV test showed equal performance for all endpoints. Sensitivity (94.6%) of the ColonView quick test for the most reproducible endpoint (invasive CRC) far exceeded the pooled sensitivity (79%) estimated in a recent meta-analysis for 8 common FIT brands. As shown in a previous study, ColonView quick test is superior in SE to HemoccultSENSA test, making CV a perfect FIT for organized CRC screening.

Performance of colorectal cancer screening in the European Union Member States: data from the second European screening report

ObjectiveTo present comparative data about the performance of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes in the European Union Member States (EU MSs).DesignCross-sectional study. We analysed key performance indicators—participation rate, positivity rate...

Detection of Colorectal Neoplasia in a Cohort Before and After the Change of Fecal Occult Blood Test in a French Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.

To estimate the change in the participation rate and the change in neoplasia incidence before and after the change of the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) in the cohort included in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (CRCSP). Cohort of 279,210 people, aged 50-74 years, invited at least once before 2009, to participate in a CRCSP campaign. The participation rate and the cumulative neoplasia incidence were described on 4 campaigns (≤2008, 2009-2010, 2011-2012 and 2013-2014) with a Guaiac FOBT (gFOBT) and a first campaign (2015-2016) with a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). The cumulative incidence was estimated by the actuarial method and its confidence interval by the Greenwood method. The participation rate decreased from 32.7% (first gFOBT-campaign) to 24.4% (fourth gFOBT-campaign) then, made a significant bound in the FIT-campaign (28.4%; p < 0.001). 35.4% of the 965 high-risk-polyps screened in this cohort were detected in the FIT-campaign. CRC incidence gradually decreased from 0.4 to 0.1/1000 person-years from the first to the fourth gFOBT-campaign before reaching a bound to 0.4/1000 person-years in the FIT-campaign. Although it was still below the minimum European target (45%), the participation rate has increased between the last gFOBT-campaign and FIT-campaign, justifying the impact of promotional campaigns and the acceptance of the new test by people and GPs. A decline in the neoplasia incidence was observed between the initial and the fourth gFOBT-campaign. The change from gFOBT to FIT between the fourth and fifth campaigns, was associated with a significant increase in detection of neoplasia.

Effect of once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy screening on the outcomes of subsequent faecal occult blood test screening.

ObjectiveTo investigate the outcomes of biennial guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) screening after once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening.MethodsBetween 1994 and 1999, as part of the UK FS Screening Trial (UKFSST), adults aged 55–64 were randomly allocated to an intervention group (offered FS screening) or a control group (not contacted). From 2006, a subset of UKFSST participants (20,895/44,041 intervention group; 41,497/87,149 control group) were invited to biennial gFOBT screening by the English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. We analysed gFOBT uptake, test positivity, yield of colorectal cancer (CRC), and positive predictive value (PPV) for CRC, advanced adenomas (AAs), and advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN: AA/CRC).ResultsUptake of gFOBT at first invitation was 1.9% lower (65.7% vs. 67.6%, p < 0.01) among intervention versus control group participants. Positivity was 0.4% lower (2.0% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.01) and CRC yield was 0.08% lower (0.19% vs. 0.27%, p = 0.14). PPVs were also lower in the intervention versus control group, at 10.3% vs. 12.3% (p = 0.44) for CRC, 22.7% vs. 31.4% (p < 0.01) for AA, and 33.0% vs. 43.7% (p < 0.01) for ACN. Among those who refused FS (n = 5532), gFOBT uptake at first invitation was 47.7%, CRC yield was 0.25%, and PPV for ACN was 46.2%. Among FS attenders (n = 15,363), uptake was 72.2%, CRC yield was 0.18%, and PPV for ACN was 27.9%.ConclusionsUptake, positivity and PPV of gFOBT screening were reduced following prior offer of FS screening. However, a quarter of FS screened participants receiving a diagnostic examination after positive gFOBT were diagnosed with ACN.

IARC Handbook of Cancer Prevention Vol. 17 - Colorectal Cancer Screening

The IARC Handbook of Cancer Prevention conduct evidence-based expert evaluations on the cancer preventive effects of interventions and strategies for primary and secondary prevention. In November 2017, 23 experts from 15 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France to evaluate different methods of screening for CRC. Evaluations were conducted for the stool-based tests of occult blood (guaiac fecal occult blood test, and immunochemical fecal test), endoscopic techniques (colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy) and computed tomographic (CT) colonography. The Working Group critically reviewed all available evidence from randomized controlled trials, observational studies and modeling studies, and assessed the benefits in reducing mortality and incidence, and the benefit-harm ratio taking into account potential adverse effects. The Working Group also reviewed the literature on related topics, including availability of CRC screening worldwide, determinants of participation to screening, emerging CRC screening techniques and screening in high-risk groups. Overall, there is sufficient evidence that screening for colorectal cancer with stool-based tests of occult blood or with endoscopic techniques decreases the risk of colorectal cancer mortality; there is also sufficient evidence for a positive benefit-harm ratio with these methods, although colonoscopy may induce more substantial harms. With CT colonography, evidence for a reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and/or mortality is limited, and a minority of the Working Group rated the evidence as inadequate.

Quantitative Models for Modeling Overdetection in Population-Based Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Background: Overdetection resulting from population-based cancer screening has been debatable over the past decade. However, a systematic approach for quantitative estimation of overdetection has been barely addressed. Contextually, mass screening for breast cancer and prostate cancer has been well documented, but colorectal cancer (CRC) has been scarcely highlighted. Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a systematic approach for quantitative estimation of overdetection and elucidating the mechanism of overdetection in population-based colorectal cancer screening. Methods: The graphic method was first proposed by comparing cumulative incidence curves of advanced and nonadvanced cancers. Then, the modeling approaches used for quantitative methods were developed. We proposed the standardized overdetection ratio (SOR), the index including expected and observed which are simulated by a 3-state Markov model (normal, preclinical detectable phase, clinical phase) based on screened group and control group, respectively. Moreover, we developed the 5-state Markov model in conjunction with SOR to quantify the extent of overdetection. Two randomized controlled trials on guaiac–fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) in U.K. and Denmark and population-based service screening using fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in Taiwan were applied to assess the proposed methods to quantify overdetection in population-based cancer screening. Results: Using the graphic method, the average of overdetection was 31.1% and 24.9% for the UK trial and the Denmark trial, respectively. However, the estimated proportion of overdetection may be biased because the graphic method did not take the natural history of adenoma and high awareness in the routine clinical practice into account. According to the proposed 3-state Markov model, the overdetection of CRC was 9% with gFOBT based on the 2 randomized controlled trials in Europe and 7% with FIT based on a nationwide screening program in Taiwan. The estimated overdetection by the 5-state Markov model were 6.1% and 9.2% for the U.K. and Denmark trial, respectively. Moreover, the main pathway for overdetection in population-based CRC screening is from nonadvanced in the preclinical phase to advanced in the preclinical phase which is supported by the evidence that SOR decreases from 1.29 to 1.16 and 1.16 to 0.97 for the U.K. and Denmark trial, respectively. Conclusion: This study developed the graphic method and the disease natural progression model for quantitative assessment of overdetection in colorectal cancer. The index, SOR, was proposed not only to assess the extent of overdetection but also to elucidate the mechanism to know how overdetection affects the progression of colorectal cancer from the preclinical phase to the clinical phase with information of cancer stage.

Occult blood in faeces is associated with all-cause and non-colorectal cancer mortality

ObjectiveAn association between detectable faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) and both the risk of death from colorectal cancer (CRC) and all-cause mortality has been reported. We set out to confirm or refute...

Fecal Immunochemical Tests Outperform Guaiac Fecal Occult Blood Tests, Again

Fecal tests are primary noninvasive modalities for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been shown to have higher

Performance of a quantitative fecal immunochemical test for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is easier to use and more sensitive than the guaiac fecal occult blood test, but it is unclear how to optimize FIT performance. We compared the sensitivity and specificity for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia between single-sample (1-FIT) and two-sample (2-FIT) FIT protocols at a range of hemoglobin concentration cutoffs for a positive test.MethodsWe recruited 2,761 average-risk men and women ages 49-75 referred for colonoscopy within a large nonprofit, group-model health maintenance organization (HMO), and asked them to complete two separate single-sample FITs. We generated receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves to compare sensitivity and specificity estimates for 1-FIT and 2-FIT protocols among those who completed both FIT kits and colonoscopy. We similarly compared sensitivity and specificity between hemoglobin concentration cutoffs for a single-sample FIT.ResultsDifferences in sensitivity and specificity between the 1-FIT and 2-FIT protocols were not statistically significant at any of the pre-specified hemoglobin concentration cutoffs (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg/g). There was a significant difference in test performance of the one-sample FIT between 50 ng/ml (10 μg/g) and each of the higher pre-specified cutoffs. Disease prevalence was low.ConclusionsA two-sample FIT is not superior to a one-sample FIT in detection of advanced adenomas; the one-sample FIT at a hemoglobin concentration cutoff of 50 ng/ml (10 μg/g) is significantly more sensitive for advanced adenomas than at higher cutoffs. These findings apply to a population of younger, average-risk patients in a U.S. integrated care system with high rates of prior screening.

Effectiveness of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Detecting Earlier-Stage Disease—A Nationwide Cohort Study in Denmark

Most studies of the effectiveness of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) using the fecal occult blood test tested the guaiac fecal occult blood test. However, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is now commonly used in screening. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FIT-based screening for CRC on the number of incident CRC diagnoses and stage at diagnosis for individuals inDenmark who were invited for screening vs not yet invited. We collected data for this register-based retrospective cohort study during the first 16 months of the prevalence round of a FIT-based CRC screening program (March 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015). A total of 402,826 residents of Denmark (50-72 years old) were randomly invited to undergo CRC screening within the study period, and 956,514 were invited thereafter. We obtained information on CRC diagnosis, date, and stage at diagnosis from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database. Cancer incidence per 100,000 invited/not yet invited individuals was calculated, along with the relative risk (RR) of CRC among invited compared with not yet invited individuals. CRC incidence during the study period was 339.4/100,000 invited individuals and 169.6/100,000 not yet invited individuals. CRC incidence increased with age among invited and not yet invited individuals. For invited women compared with not yet invited women, the RR of being diagnosed with stage I CRC was 3.39 (95% CI, 2.61-4.39), with stage II CRC was 2.16 (95% CI, 1.71-2.72), with stage III CRC was 1.37 (95% CI, 1.08-1.75), and with stage IV CRC was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.68-1.23). For invited men compared with not yet invited men, the RR of being diagnosed with stage I CRC was 3.71 (95% CI, 2.97-4.64); with stage II CRC was 2.26 (95% CI, 1.84-2.77), with stage III CRC was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.53-2.30), and with stage IV CRC was 1.20 (95% CI, 0.95-1.52). In analyzing data from a register-based cohort study in Denmark, we found that inviting individuals to undergo FIT-based CRC screening led to detection of almost 2-fold more cases of CRC than not inviting participants. The significant increase of CRC incidence among those invited for screening indicates a need for awareness of treatment capacity in countries introducing FIT-based CRC screening.

The association between long-term conditions and uptake of population-based screening for colorectal cancer: results from two English cohort studies.

IntroductionUptake of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) can reduce mortality, and population-based screening is offered in England. To date, there is little evidence on the association between having a long-term condition (LTC) and CRC screening uptake. The objective of this study was to examine the association between having an LTC and uptake of CRC screening in England with the guaiac fecal occult blood test, with a particular focus on common mental disorders.MethodsThe study was a preregistered secondary analysis of two cohorts: first, a linked data set between the regional Yorkshire Health Study (YHS) and the National Health Service National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (BCSP, years 2006–2014); second, the national English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, years 2014–2015). Individuals eligible for BCSP screening who participated in either the YHS (7,142) or ELSA Wave 7 (4,099) were included. Study registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02503969.ResultsIn both the cohorts, diabetes was associated with lower uptake (YHS odds ratio [OR] for non-uptake 1.35, 95% CI 1.03–1.78; ELSA 1.33, 1.03–1.72) and osteoarthritis was associated with increased uptake (YHS 0.75, 0.57–0.99; ELSA 0.76, 0.62–0.93). After controlling for broader determinants of health, there was no evidence of significantly different uptake for individuals with common mental disorders.ConclusionTwo large independent cohorts provided evidence that uptake of CRC screening is lower among individuals with diabetes and higher among individuals with osteoarthritis. Further work should compare barriers and facilitators to screening among individuals with either of these conditions. This study also demonstrates the benefits of data linkage for improving clinical decision-making.

Patterns and predictors of repeat fecal immunochemical and occult blood test screening in four large health care systems in the United States

Effectiveness of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening depends on annual testing, but little is known about patterns of repeat stool-based screening within different settings. Our study's objective was to characterize screening patterns and identify factors associated with repeat screening among patients who completed an index guaiac FOBT (gFOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT). We performed a multi-center retrospective cohort study among people who completed a FOBT between January 2010 and December 2011 to characterize repeat screening patterns over the subsequent 3 years. We studied at 4 large health care delivery systems in the United States. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with repeat screening patterns. We included individuals aged 50-71 years who completed an index FOBT and had at least 3 years of follow-up. We excluded people with a history of CRC, colonoscopy within 10 years or flexible sigmoidoscopy within 5 years before the index test, or positive index stool test. Consistent screening was defined as repeat FOBT within every 15 months and inconsistent screening as repeat testing at least once during follow-up but less than consistent screening. Among 959,857 eligible patients who completed an index FIT or gFOBT, 344,103 had three years of follow-up and met inclusion criteria. Of these, 46.6% had consistent screening, 43.4% inconsistent screening, and 10% had no repeat screening during follow-up. Screening patterns varied substantially across healthcare systems, with consistent screening proportions ranging from 1 to 54.3% and no repeat screening proportions ranging from 6.9 to 42.8%. Higher consistent screening proportions were observed in health systems with screening outreach and in-reach programs, whereas the safety-net health system, which uses opportunistic clinic-based screening, had the lowest consistent screening. Consistent screening increased with older age but was less common among racial/ethnic minorities and patients with more comorbidities. Adherence with annual FOBT screening is highly variable across healthcare delivery systems. Settings with more organized screening programs performed better than those with opportunistic screening, but evidence-based interventions are needed to improve CRC screening adherence in all settings.

The contribution of a negative colorectal screening test result to symptom appraisal and help-seeking behaviour among patients subsequently diagnosed with an interval colorectal cancer.

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes using a guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt) reduce CRC mortality. Interval cancers are diagnosed between screening rounds: reassurance from a negative gFOBt has the potential to influence the pathway to diagnosis of an interval colorectal cancer.MethodsTwenty‐six semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews were carried out in Scotland and England, with individuals diagnosed with an interval colorectal cancer following a negative gFOBt result.ResultsParticipants reported they were reassured by a negative gFOBt, interpreting their result as an “all clear”. Therefore, most did not suspect cancer as a possible cause of symptoms and many did not recall their screening result during symptom appraisal. Among those who did consider cancer, and did think about their screening test result, reassurance from a negative gFOBt led some to “downplay” the seriousness of their symptoms with some interviewees explicitly stating that their negative test result contributed to a delayed decision to seek help.ConclusionScreening participants need to be informed of the limitations of screening and the ongoing risk of developing colorectal cancer even when in receipt of a negative result: the importance of minimizing delay in seeking medical advice for colorectal symptoms should be emphasized.

Colorectal Cancer Screening-Who, How, and When?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. It is amenable to screening as it occurs in premalignant, latent, early, and curable stages. PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and national and international CRC screening guidelines were searched for CRC screening methods, populations, and timing. CRC screening can use direct or indirect tests, delivered opportunistically or via organized programs. Most CRCs are diagnosed after 60 years of age; most screening programs apply to individuals 50–75 years of age. Screening may reduce disease-specific mortality by detecting CRC in earlier stages, and CRC incidence by detecting premalignant polyps, which can subsequently be removed. In randomized controlled trials (RCTs) guaiac fecal occult blood testing (gFOBt) was found to reduce CRC mortality by 13%–33%. Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) has no RCT data comparing it to no screening, but is superior to gFOBt. Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) trials demonstrated an 18% reduction in CRC incidence and a 28% reduction in CRC mortality. Currently, RCT evidence for colonoscopy screening is scarce. Although not yet corroborated by RCTs, it is likely that colonoscopy is the best screening modality for an individual. From a population perspective, organized programs are superior to opportunistic screening. However, no nation can offer organized population-wide colonoscopy screening. Thus, organized programs using cheaper modalities, such as FS/FIT, can be tailored to budget and capacity.

PP137 Colorectal Cancer Screening In The Philippines: Cost-Utility Analysis

Introduction:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines. In 2014, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) created a CRC treatment package. The study aimed to determine the cost-utility and budget impact of CRC screening strategies.Methods:A discrete-event microsimulation model was used to simulate four screening modalities: (i) guaiac-fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) followed by colonoscopy every 10 years; (ii) fecal immunochemical test (FIT) followed by colonoscopy every 10 years; (iii) FIT followed by flexible sigmoidoscopy; and (iv) colonoscopy screening every 10 years. These interventions were all compared to no screening. Parameter values were taken from a rapid review of the medical literature and primary data collection from a nationally representative sample of tertiary hospitals.Results:All screening modalities were very cost effective considering that the incremental cost-effective ratios (ICERs) were lower than the gross domestic product per capita threshold suggested by the World Health Organization. Sensitivity analysis showed that the ICERs of all screening modalities evaluated remained below this threshold. The strategy of using FIT followed by colonoscopy every 10 years had an ICER of USD 6,025, with an annual budget impact of USD 6.5 million, assuming low compliance. With moderate compliance this could increase to USD 18.7 million annually.Conclusions:PhilHealth may introduce a benefit package for outpatient screening of colorectal cancer using the screening modality of annual FIT followed by colonoscopy every 10 years.

Fecal immunochemical tests for surveillance of the colorectal neoplasia after polypectomy

Fecal immunochemical tests for surveillance of the colorectal neoplasia after polypectomy

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Program: current perspectives on strategies for improvement.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the UK. The English National Health Service (NHS) Bowel Cancer Screening Program (BCSP) was introduced in 2006 to improve CRC mortality by earlier detection of CRC. It is now offered to patients aged 60–74 years and involves a home-based guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBt) biennially, and if positive, patients are offered a colonoscopy. This has been associated with a 15% reduction in mortality. In 2013, an additional arm to BCSP was introduced, Bowelscope. This offers patients aged 55 years a one-off flexible sigmoidoscopy, and if several adenomas are found, the patients are offered a completion colonoscopy. BCSP has been associated with a significant stage shift in CRC diagnosis; however, the uptake of bowel cancer screening remains lower than that for other screening programs. Further work is required to understand the reasons for nonparticipation of patients to ensure optimal uptake. A change of gFOBt kit to the fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) in the English BCSP may further increase patient participation. This, in addition to increased yield of neoplasia and cancers with the FIT kit, is likely to further improve CRC outcomes in the screened population.