PMID: 3319274Jan 1, 1987Paper

The pros and cons of fecal occult blood testing for colorectal neoplasms

Cancer Metastasis Reviews
J B Simon

Abstract

Testing feces for occult blood is widely recommended as a means of detecting subclinical colorectal tumors. Guaiac tests such as Hemoccult are the most widely used, but chemical sensitivity is relatively low and the tests are affected by dietary peroxidases, the state of fecal hydration, and certain drugs. The newly devised HemoQuant and immunologic techniques appear more sensitive and specific, but they require further evaluation before widespread clinical usage can be recommended. Occult blood screening has both merits and weaknesses. Testing does uncover subclinical colorectal cancer, often at a relatively early stage, but whether this actually improves the prognosis remains to be proven. Benign neoplastic polyps are also detected, although it is debatable whether this is a valid rationale for screening. Test sensitivity for malignancy varies from good to moderate, but is poor for benign polyps. Specificity is usually around 97%-98%, yet the predictive value of a positive test for cancer is only about 10%; hence most test-positive individuals are needlessly subjected to invasive colonic investigations. Reported figures on public compliance with occult blood testing vary widely from excellent to poor. Published costs of scree...Continue Reading

References

Oct 15, 1977·Lancet·D P GarrickW McMurray
Feb 1, 1978·American Journal of Public Health·T W ElwoodS Lieberman
Mar 1, 1978·American Journal of Clinical Pathology·G H BarrowsC L Songster
May 1, 1979·Cancer·R R RickertJ M Frasca
Sep 1, 1979·Southern Medical Journal·J M Sterchi
May 30, 1977·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·M J Goodman
Oct 3, 1977·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·G B HelfrichH Webb
Aug 1, 1977·Cancer·S F Miller, A R Knight
Oct 1, 1976·The American Journal of Digestive Diseases·J R StroehleinV L Go
Oct 1, 1976·The American Journal of Digestive Diseases·D W MorrisC S Lee
Dec 1, 1975·Annals of Internal Medicine·R M JaffeJ D MacLowry
Jan 1, 1985·Forensic Science International : Synergy·K Aoki, Y Kuroiwa
May 1, 1986·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·R G Norfleet
Jan 23, 1986·The New England Journal of Medicine·P DoubiletB J McNeil
Feb 1, 1986·British Medical Journal·S Nichols
Jul 12, 1986·British Medical Journal·S NicholsM A Mullee
Sep 1, 1986·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·J P Bader
May 8, 1986·The New England Journal of Medicine·J C Bailar, E M Smith
Jun 1, 1986·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·G F Longstreth
May 30, 1985·The New England Journal of Medicine·D A AhlquistR A Owen
May 30, 1985·The New England Journal of Medicine·W L Peterson, J S Fordtran
Aug 1, 1985·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine·D FrommerM Brown
Jul 1, 1985·CA: a Cancer Journal for Clinicians
Aug 19, 1985·The Medical Journal of Australia·C McDonaldK Goulston
Sep 1, 1985·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·J E Allison, R Feldman
Oct 31, 1985·Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry·Y D KimJ T Tomita
Dec 1, 1985·British Journal of Cancer·A Kapparis, D Frommer
Jan 17, 1986·The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics
Feb 1, 1985·Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology·P E SlaterD Rachmilewitz
May 1, 1974·The American Journal of Digestive Diseases·G A Glober, S M Peskoe
Feb 1, 1974·American Journal of Surgery·J B Hastings
Dec 1, 1965·Gut·D G Illingworth
Sep 18, 1967·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·D H Greegor
Jan 3, 1981·Lancet·K D VellacottJ D Hardcastle

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 1, 1990·International Journal of Colorectal Disease·J D KettnerJ M Northover
Jul 1, 1991·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·J L SlavinS Schwartz
Jul 4, 2001·European Journal of Cancer Prevention : the Official Journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP)·L OreG Rennert
Nov 26, 2003·The American Journal of Gastroenterology·Masakatsu MizunoYasushi Shiratori
Nov 23, 2000·Journal of Surgical Oncology·S Ottó, S Eckhardt
Mar 1, 1996·Cancer Control : Journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center·J S Mandel
Nov 14, 2019·Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira·Vicente Renato BagnoliEdmund Chada Baracat
Dec 10, 2019·Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology·Haidi HuangWanglin Jiang
Jan 1, 1993·Annals of Clinical Biochemistry·A MoranP Asquith
Jul 16, 1990·The Medical Journal of Australia·A Woodward, D Weller

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The New England Journal of Medicine
D A AhlquistD B McGill
The American Journal of Digestive Diseases
S J Winawer
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved