Study: Fecal Occult Blood Testing Effective for Colon Cancer Screening

Fecal occult blood testing, a patient-administered test that is much less expensive than a colonoscopy, is a valid option for early detection of colon cancer, according to a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

 

Using a newer version of the test, called immunochemical FOBT, researchers found that among 28 people who were confirmed to have colon tumors after a colonoscopy, all but one also had a positive iFOBT result. However, about 10 percent of iFOBT results were false positives, but that is common for such testing.

 

Fecal occult testing, which looks for hidden blood in a person's stool, can be done once a year at home.

 

Read the CMA Journal report on fecal occult testing being effective to colon cancer screening.


Related Articles on Colon Cancer Screening:

Study: Colon Cleansing Has No Benefits, Some Adverse Outcomes

Colorectal Cancer Rates, Deaths Fall as More Patients Undergo Screening

Study: Significantly More Genetic Mutations Linked to Colon Cancer


 

 

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