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Planade O, Dessomme B, Chapelle N, Verdier M, Duchalais E, Queneherve L, Le Rhun M, Coron E, Mosnier JF, Matysiak-Budnik T, Touchefeu Y. Systematic upper endoscopy concomitant with colonoscopy performed within the colorectal cancer screening program: Impact on the patients' management. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2021; 45:101501. [PMID: 33714864 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The French colorectal cancer screening program is based on a fecal immunochemical test, followed by colonoscopy in case of positivity. The benefit of adding a concomitant upper endoscopy to detect upper digestive lesions (precancerous or others) is still debated. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of upper digestive lesions detected by upper endoscopy performed concomitantly with colonoscopy following a positive fecal immunochemical test, and their impact on the patients' management (i.e., surveillance, medical treatment, endoscopic or surgical procedure). METHODS Data of all the patients who consulted for a positive test between May 2016 and May 2019 in our center, and for whom concomitant upper endoscopy and colonoscopy were performed, were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with significant history of upper gastrointestinal diseases or with current gastrointestinal symptoms were excluded. RESULTS One hundred patients were included [median age (min-max): 62 (50-75), men 64%]. Macroscopic and/or microscopic upper digestive lesions were found in 58 of them (58%): Helicobacter pylori infection in 17 patients, gastric precancerous lesions in 9 patients (chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, n=8, low grade dysplasia, n=1), Barrett's esophagus requiring surveillance in 4 patients, and 1 duodenal adenoma with low-grade dysplasia. In 44 patients (44%), the upper endoscopy findings had an impact on patients' management, with no significant difference between the groups with positive (CRC or advanced adenoma)- or negative (any other lesions or normal) colonoscopy. CONCLUSION A systematic upper endoscopy combined with colonoscopy for positive fecal immunochemical test could represent an efficient strategy for upper digestive lesions screening in France. Further studies are necessary to confirm these results and to evaluate cost-effectiveness of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orianne Planade
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Brigitte Dessomme
- Service d'Evaluation Médicale et d'Epidémiologie, Nantes University Hospital, 85 rue Saint-Jacques, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Nicolas Chapelle
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Marine Verdier
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Emilie Duchalais
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Lucille Queneherve
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Marc Le Rhun
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Emmanuel Coron
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Jean-Francois Mosnier
- Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
| | - Tamara Matysiak-Budnik
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France.
| | - Yann Touchefeu
- Institut des Maladies de l'appareil Digestif, Hépato-Gastroentérologie & Oncologie Digestive, Hôtel Dieu, Nantes University Hospital, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, Nantes 44093, France
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Rodriguez-Alonso L, Rodriguez-Moranta F, Ruiz-Cerulla A, Arajol C, Serra K, Gilabert P, Ibañez-Sanz G, Camps B, Guardiola J. The use of faecal immunochemical testing in the decision-making process for the endoscopic investigation of iron deficiency anaemia. Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 58:232-239. [PMID: 31785194 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2019-0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Blood loss from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in adult men and postmenopausal women. Gastroduodenal endoscopy (GDE) and colonoscopy are frequently recommended, despite uncertainty regarding the coexistence of lesions in the upper and lower GI tract. The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) measures the concentration of faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) originating only from the colon or rectum. We aimed to assess whether the FIT was able to select the best endoscopic procedure for detecting the cause of IDA. Methods A prospective study of 120 men and postmenopausal women referred for a diagnostic study of IDA were evaluated with an FIT, GDE and colonoscopy. The endoscopic finding of a significant upper lesion (SUL) or a significant bowel lesion (SBL) was considered to be the cause of the IDA. Results The diagnoses were 35.0% SUL and 20.0% SBL, including 13.3% GI cancer. In the multivariate analysis, the concentration of blood haemoglobin (b-Hb) <9 g/dL (OR: 2.60; 95% CI 1.13-6.00; p = 0.025) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs (2.56; 1.13-5.88; p = 0.024) were associated with an SUL. Age (0.93; 0.88-0.99; p = 0.042) and f-Hb ≥ 15 μg Hb/g faeces (38.53; 8.60-172.50; p < 0.001) were associated with an SBL. A "FIT plus gastroscopy" strategy, in which colonoscopy is performed only when f-Hb ≥15 μg Hb/g faeces, would be able to detect 92.4% of lesions and be 100% accurate in the detection of cancer while avoiding 71.6% of colonoscopies. Conclusions The FIT is an accurate method for selecting the best endoscopy study for the evaluation of IDA. An FIT-based strategy is more cost-effective than the current bidirectional endoscopy-based strategy and could improve endoscopic resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Rodriguez-Alonso
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alexandra Ruiz-Cerulla
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudia Arajol
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katja Serra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Gilabert
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Ibañez-Sanz
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institute of Oncology, Cancer Prevention and Control Programme, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blau Camps
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Guardiola
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga S/N, 08907, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, Phone: +34 932 607 500x2692/2826, Fax: +34 93 2607883
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Pin-Vieito N, Iglesias MJ, Remedios D, Rodríguez-Alonso L, Rodriguez-Moranta F, Álvarez-Sánchez V, Fernández-Bañares F, Boadas J, Martínez-Bauer E, Campo R, Bujanda L, Ferrandez Á, Piñol V, Rodríguez-Alcalde D, Guardiola J, Cubiella J, on behalf of the COLONPREDICT study investigators. Risk of gastrointestinal cancer in a symptomatic cohort after a complete colonoscopy: Role of faecal immunochemical test. World J Gastroenterol 2020; 26:70-85. [PMID: 31933515 PMCID: PMC6952298 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i1.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been recommended to assess symptomatic patients for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection. Nevertheless, some conditions could theoretically favour blood originating in proximal areas of the gastrointestinal tract passing through the colon unmetabolized. A positive FIT result could be related to other gastrointestinal cancers (GIC).
AIM To assess the risk of GIC detection and related death in FIT-positive symptomatic patients (threshold 10 μg Hb/g faeces) without CRC.
METHODS Post hoc cohort analysis performed within two prospective diagnostic test studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of different FIT analytical systems for CRC and significant colonic lesion detection. Ambulatory patients with gastrointestinal symptoms referred consecutively for colonoscopy from primary and secondary healthcare, underwent a quantitative FIT before undergoing a complete colonoscopy. Patients without CRC were divided into two groups (positive and negative FIT) using the threshold of 10 μg Hb/g of faeces and data from follow-up were retrieved from electronic medical records of the public hospitals involved in the research. We determined the cumulative risk of GIC, CRC and upper GIC. Hazard rate (HR) was calculated adjusted by age, sex and presence of significant colonic lesion.
RESULTS We included 2709 patients without CRC and a complete baseline colonoscopy, 730 (26.9%) with FIT ≥ 10 µgr Hb/gr. During a mean time of 45.5 ± 20.0 mo, a GIC was detected in 57 (2.1%) patients: An upper GIC in 35 (1.3%) and a CRC in 14 (0.5%). Thirty-six patients (1.3%) died due to GIC: 22 (0.8%) due to an upper GIC and 9 (0.3%) due to CRC. FIT-positive subjects showed a higher CRC risk (HR 3.8, 95%CI: 1.2-11.9) with no differences in GIC (HR 1.5, 95%CI: 0.8-2.7) or upper GIC risk (HR 1.0, 95%CI: 0.5-2.2). Patients with a positive FIT had only an increased risk of CRC-related death (HR 10.8, 95%CI: 2.1-57.1) and GIC-related death (HR 2.2, 95%CI: 1.1-4.3), with no differences in upper GIC-related death (HR 1.4, 95%CI: 0.6-3.3). An upper GIC was detected in 22 (0.8%) patients during the first year. Two variables were independently associated: anaemia (OR 5.6, 95%CI: 2.2-13.9) and age ≥ 70 years (OR 2.7, 95%CI: 1.1-7.0).
CONCLUSION Symptomatic patients without CRC have a moderate risk increase in upper GIC, regardless of the FIT result. Patients with a positive FIT have an increased risk of post-colonoscopy CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Pin-Vieito
- Gastroenterology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Ourense 32005, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomedica Galicia Sur, Ourense 32005, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Vigo, Vigo 36200, Spain
| | - María J Iglesias
- Gastroenterology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Ourense 32005, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomedica Galicia Sur, Ourense 32005, Spain
| | - David Remedios
- Gastroenterology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Ourense 32005, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomedica Galicia Sur, Ourense 32005, Spain
| | - Lorena Rodríguez-Alonso
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain. Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Moranta
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain. Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | | | | | - Jaume Boadas
- Gastroenterology Department, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa 08221, Spain
| | - Eva Martínez-Bauer
- Gastroenterology Department, Hospital de Sabadell, Corporació Sanitària i Universitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell 08208, Spain
| | - Rafael Campo
- Gastroenterology Department, Hospital de Sabadell, Corporació Sanitària i Universitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell 08208, Spain
| | - Luis Bujanda
- Donostia Hospital, Biodonostia Institute, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, CIBERehd, San Sebastian 20010, Spain
| | - Ángel Ferrandez
- Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Clínico Universitario, IIS Aragón, University of Zaragoza, CIBERehd, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Virginia Piñol
- Gastroenterology Department, Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona 17007, Spain
| | | | - Jordi Guardiola
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain. Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Joaquín Cubiella
- Gastroenterology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Ourense 32005, Spain
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He E, Alison R, Blanks R, Pirie K, Reeves G, Ward RL, Steele R, Patnick J, Canfell K, Beral V, Green J. Association of ten gastrointestinal and other medical conditions with positivity to faecal occult blood testing in routine screening: a large prospective study of women in England. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 48:549-558. [PMID: 30668711 PMCID: PMC6469304 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2006, the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) in England began offering biennial faecal occult blood testing (FOBt) at ages 60-69 years. Although FOBt is aimed at detecting colorectal neoplasms, other conditions can affect the result. In a large UK prospective study, we examined associations, both before and after screening, between FOBt positivity and 10 conditions that are often associated with gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS By electronically linking BCSP and Million Women Study records, we identified 604 495 women without previous colorectal cancer who participated in their first routine FOBt screening between 2006 and 2012. Regression models, using linked national hospital admission records, yielded adjusted relative risks (RRs) in FOBt-positive versus FOBt-negative women for colorectal cancer, adenoma, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, haemorrhoids, upper gastrointestinal cancer, oesophagitis, peptic ulcer, anaemia and other haematological disorders. RESULTS RRs in FOBt-positive versus FOBt-negative women were 201.3 (95% CI 173.8-233.2) for colorectal cancer and 197.9 (95% CI 180.6-216.8) for adenoma within 12 months after screening and 3.49 (95% CI 2.31-5.26) and 4.88 (95% CI 3.80-6.26), respectively, 12-24 months after screening; P < 0.001 for all RRs. In the 12 months after screening, the RR for inflammatory bowel disease was 26.3 (95% CI 19.9-34.7), and ranged between 2 and 5 for the upper gastrointestinal or haematological disorders. The RRs of being diagnosed with any of the eight conditions other than colorectal neoplasms before screening, and in the 12-24 months after screening, were 1.81 (95% CI 1.81-2.01) and 1.92 (95% CI 1.66-2.13), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Whereas FOBt positivity is associated with a substantially increased risk of colorectal neoplasms after screening, eight other gastrointestinal and haematological conditions are also associated with FOBt positivity, both before and after screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily He
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Woolloomooloo, NSW, Australia
| | - Rupert Alison
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roger Blanks
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kirstin Pirie
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gillian Reeves
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robyn L Ward
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert Steele
- Department of Surgery, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK
| | - Julietta Patnick
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Karen Canfell
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Woolloomooloo, NSW, Australia
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Valerie Beral
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane Green
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Kobayashi Y, Watabe H, Yamada A, Suzuki H, Hirata Y, Yamaji Y, Yoshida H, Koike K. Impact of fecal occult blood on obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: Observational study. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21:326-332. [PMID: 25574108 PMCID: PMC4284352 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To elucidate the association between small bowel diseases (SBDs) and positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB).
METHODS: Between February 2008 and August 2013, 202 patients with OGIB who performed both capsule endoscopy (CE) and FOBT were enrolled (mean age; 63.6 ± 14.0 years, 118 males, 96 previous overt bleeding, 106 with occult bleeding). All patients underwent immunochemical FOBTs twice prior to CE. Three experienced endoscopists independently reviewed CE videos. All reviews and consensus meeting were conducted without any information on FOBT results. The prevalence of SBDs was compared between patients with positive and negative FOBT.
RESULTS: CE revealed SBDs in 72 patients (36%). FOBT was positive in 100 patients (50%) and negative in 102 (50%). The prevalence of SBDs was significantly higher in patients with positive FOBT than those with negative FOBT (46% vs 25%, P = 0.002). In particular, among patients with occult OGIB, the prevalence of SBDs was higher in positive FOBT group than negative FOBT group (45% vs 18%, P = 0.002). On the other hand, among patients with previous overt OGIB, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of SBDs between positive and negative FOBT group (47% vs 33%, P = 0.18). In disease specific analysis among patients with occult OGIB, the prevalence of ulcer and tumor were higher in positive FOBT group than negative FOBT group. In multivariate analysis, only positive FOBT was a predictive factors of SBDs in patients with OGIB (OR = 2.5, 95%CI: 1.4-4.6, P = 0.003). Furthermore, the trend was evident among patients with occult OGIB who underwent FOBT on the same day or a day before CE. The prevalence of SBDs in positive vs negative FOBT group were 54% vs 13% in patients with occult OGIB who underwent FOBT on the same day or the day before CE (P = 0.001), while there was no significant difference between positive and negative FOBT group in those who underwent FOBT two or more days before CE (43% vs 25%, P = 0.20).
CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that positive FOBT may be useful for predicting SBDs in patients with occult OGIB. Positive FOBT indicates higher likelihood of ulcers or tumors in patients with occult OGIB. Undergoing CE within a day after FOBT achieved a higher diagnostic yield for patients with occult OGIB.
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Abstract
The first evidence that screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) could effectively reduce mortality dates back 20 years. However, actual population screening has, in many countries, halted at the level of individual testing and discussions on differences between screening tests. With a wealth of new evidence from various community-based studies looking at test uptake, screening-programme organization and the importance of quality assurance, population screening for CRC is now moving into a new realm, promising better results in terms of reducing CRC-specific morbidity and mortality. Such a shift in the paradigm requires a change from opportunistic, individual testing towards organized population screening with comprehensive monitoring and full-programme quality assurance. To achieve this, a combination of factors--including test characteristics, uptake, screenee autonomy, costs and capacity--must be considered. Thus, evidence from randomized trials comparing different tests must be supplemented by studies of acceptance and uptake to obtain the full picture of the effectiveness (in terms of morbidity, mortality and cost) the different strategies have. In this Review, we discuss a range of screening modalities and describe the factors to be considered to achieve a truly effective population CRC screening programme.
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Chiang TH, Lee YC, Tu CH, Chiu HM, Wu MS. Performance of the immunochemical fecal occult blood test in predicting lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract. CMAJ 2011; 183:1474-81. [PMID: 21810951 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.101248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that the immunochemical fecal occult blood test has superior specificity for detecting bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract even if bleeding occurs in the upper tract. We conducted a large population-based study involving asymptomatic adults in Taiwan, a population with prevalent upper gastrointestinal lesions, to confirm this claim. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study involving asymptomatic people aged 18 years or more in Taiwan recruited to undergo an immunochemical fecal occult blood test, colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy between August 2007 and July 2009. We compared the prevalence of lesions in the lower and upper gastrointestinal tracts between patients with positive and negative fecal test results. We also identified risk factors associated with a false-positive fecal test result. RESULTS Of the 2796 participants, 397 (14.2%) had a positive fecal test result. The sensitivity of the test for predicting lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract was 24.3%, the specificity 89.0%, the positive predictive value 41.3%, the negative predictive value 78.7%, the positive likelihood ratio 2.22, the negative likelihood ratio 0.85 and the accuracy 73.4%. The prevalence of lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract was higher among those with a positive fecal test result than among those with a negative result (41.3% v. 21.3%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract did not differ significantly between the two groups (20.7% v. 17.5%, p = 0.12). Almost all of the participants found to have colon cancer (27/28, 96.4%) had a positive fecal test result; in contrast, none of the three found to have esophageal or gastric cancer had a positive fecal test result (p < 0.001). Among those with a negative finding on colonoscopy, the risk factors associated with a false-positive fecal test result were use of antiplatelet drugs (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-4.98) and a low hemoglobin concentration (adjusted OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.62-4.33). INTERPRETATION The immunochemical fecal occult blood test was specific for predicting lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract. However, the test did not adequately predict lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Hsien Chiang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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