Effect of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on colorectal adenomas: case-control study of subjects participating in the Nottingham faecal occult blood screening programme.

Objectives –A comparative study was carried out to clarify the clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer diagnosed after a false negative result on the immunochemical faecal occult blood test. Methods –236 patients with colorectal cancer were studied: 48 patients with negative results and 188 patients with positive results with the faecal occult blood test. The two groups were compared according to their age and sex and by the site, size, macroscopic type, Dukes's classification, and histological type of their cancer lesions. Additionally, the above factors were investigated prospectively and compared in 40 cases of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed as false negative and in matched cases diagnosed as true positive in cancer screening by the immunochemical faecal occult blood test. Results –In both the hospital based case-control study and the screening programme based nested case—control study the prevalence of rectal cancers was higher in the false negative group than in the true positive group (P = 0.02, P = 0.03), but there were no differences between the two groups for any other factors. Conclusion –These results suggest that the immunochemical faecal occult blood test is unsuitable for the diagnosis of rectal cancer.

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Diagnostic Accuracy of Immunochemical Faecal Occult Blood Test for Gastric Cancer

Journal of Medical Screening ◽

10.1177/096914139600300301 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 113-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Hidenori Nakama ◽

Noboru Kamijo ◽

Kazuya Fujimori ◽

A S M Abdul Fattah ◽

Bing Zhang

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Gastric Cancer ◽

Blood Test ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Occult Blood ◽

Faecal Occult Blood Test ◽

Occult Blood Test ◽

Faecal Occult Blood ◽

Faecal Occult ◽

Control Study

Objectives –Toinvestigate the accuracy of the immunochemical occult blood test in screening for gastric cancer and to evaluate whether or not the upper digestive tract should be examined when the occult blood test is positive but there is no abnormal sign in the colorectum. Methods –In a case-control study an occult blood test was carried out on 150 subjects with gastric cancer, ISO subjects with colorectal cancer, and on 300 healthy subjects. Data were analysed from 44 996 persons attending a population screening programme who underwent both radiological gastric cancer screening (barium meal) and colorectal cancer examination by occult blood test. Results –In the case—control study the occult blood test was positive in 27/150 (18%) subjects with gastric cancer, in 112/150 (75%) subjects with colorectal cancer, and in 24/300 (8%) healthy controls. In the population screening programme the occult blood test was positive in 4/50 (8%) persons with gastric cancer and 3232/44 950 (7%) persons without gastric cancer,- indicating no difference between them. Conclusions –These data show that the immunochemical faecal occult blood test is worthless as a screening test for gastric cancer, and that examination of the upper digestive tract is unnecessary in cases where the faecal occult blood test is positive but there is no sign of colorectal disease.

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