Stable prevalence of faecal immunochemical test positivity over time in Italy
Objectives The prevalence of guaiac faecal occult blood positivity among participants aged 50 in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme showed a significant increase from 2007 to 2017. As a comparison, we examined the trend in the prevalence of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) positivity among participants aged 50 in the colorectal cancer screening programme of the Veneto region (north-east Italy) from 2006 to 2018. Methods The target population includes residents aged 50–69, who are invited to repeat the FIT every two years. The screening programme uses the OC-Hemodia latex agglutination test, with a cut-off for positivity of 20 µg of haemoglobin per g of faeces. Results Based on 182,275 FITs performed on participants aged 50, overall FIT positivity was 3.6% in 2006 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.1–4.2) and 3.7% (95% CI: 3.4–3.9) in 2018, showing no significant trend ( p = 0.19). The prevalence of positive test results was higher in males throughout the study period. No gradient was seen for men (2006 = 4.4%, 95% CI: 3.6–5.3; 2018 = 4.2%, 95% CI: 3.9–4.6; p = 0.10) or women (2006 = 2.8%, 95% CI: 2.1–3.5; 2018 = 3.2%, 95% CI: 2.9–3.5; p = 0.84). Conclusions In a FIT-based colorectal cancer screening programme in Italy, the test positivity over time was stable. Our findings suggest that the interpretation of faecal haemoglobin levels may not be geographically transferable.