Finally, we checked reference lists of primary studies included, relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and pertinent guidelines. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of FIT for detecting CRC or AN. Finally, we could not calculate the pooled estimates in a sensitivity analysis including only studies at low risk of bias in patients with family history of CRC that used immediate colonoscopy due to limited data. Findings CG, Allison Two authors (A.K. JE, Halloran 2017;177(8):11101118. Seven studies were deemed at high or unclear risk of bias. In the study, 3 percent of the people with positive FIT results were diagnosed with colorectal cancer (2,191 total cases). Fecal immunochemical test (FIT). Finally, the effects on quality of life, morbidity, mortality and overall cost-effectiveness need to be clarified in future studies.49-51. People with a positive FIT test result are advised to have a colonoscopy to investigate the cause of the bleeding because a FIT test alone cannot diagnose cancer. 2023 American Medical Association. Use of cutoff values between 15 to 25 g Hb/g feces had the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CRC (93% and 94%, respectively), as well as the highest LR+ (15.1) and lowest LR (0.07). JPT, Green Bibbins-Domingo A, Tetzlaff // This means that when the test came out positive, there actually was an abnormality 90 percent of the time with Cologuard and 95 percent of the time with FIT. Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT): common questions. DC, Curry AZ, A. Any disagreement was resolved through discussion or by consulting a third author (A.T.). EA, Compalati This is especially important for those who are averse to colonoscopy. Colonoscopy versus fecal immunochemical testing in colorectal-cancer screening. Pooled test characteristics estimates for diagnosing CRC were sensitivity, 86% (95% CI, 31%-99%); specificity, 91% (95% CI, 89%-93%); LR+, 10.00 (95% CI, 5.80-17.5); and LR, 0.16 (95% CI, 0.02-1.48). Broek NC. 3. 2023 American Medical Association. PM, Reitsma To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of FIT in individuals at increased risk for CRC. The Cologuard test has a 13% false-positive rate, which means 1 in 10 positive tests will incorrectly identify cancer or polyps. Many colorectal cancer screening programs, including some in the United States, struggle to ensure timely colonoscopy completion among those with a positive FIT, with rates as low as 50%, Dr. Zorzi and his colleagues wrote. A, Bujanda Are fit tests accurate? Castro Effect of Single-Dose Aspirin Prior to FIT on Colorectal Cancer Detection. Accuracy of immunochemical faecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer: meta-analysis [article in Chinese]. LG, van Rijn et al; QUADAS-2 Group. Privacy Policy| This test is able to look for a specific type of blood in your stool which helps identify if you have any polyps (pre-cancerous growths) in your colon. and P.P.) But because you use FIT every year, 10 . MH, Hardcastle Sample size of studies ranged from 116 to 1041 patients. In 3 relevant studies, sensitivity for CRC varied from 67% to 100% and specificity from 83% to 95%. US Department of Health & Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In other words, the . Reasons for participation and nonparticipation in colorectal cancer screening: a randomized trial of colonoscopy and CT colonography. Cloud VA Health Care System would be predicted to reduce the reflex to colonoscopy, based only on . S, Levin Specifically, the investigators wanted to see if a colonoscopy identified any cancer missed by the FIT. Katsoula A, Paschos P, Haidich A, Tsapas A, Giouleme O. The study points to the importance of more closely monitoring people who do not follow recommendations after a positive FIT result, said Erica Breslau, Ph.D., M.P.H., of NCIs Healthcare Delivery Research Program, who also was not involved in the study. It has recently been suggested that fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) could be used for population-based screening owing to its high accuracy and adherence.7-9 Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have assessed the performance of FIT in average-risk populations.10,11 However, the potential role of FIT for screening of individuals at increased risk for CRC has not yet been fully elucidated. JK, Boland The study should also evaluate the location and detection rate of advanced adenomas and quantitative fecal hemoglobin results during the rounds of testing. Overall quality was deemed very low, low, moderate, or high using GRADEpro version 3.6 (GRADEpro GDT). A periodic FIT, however, might have some benefit in individuals with average CRC risk. S, Vilkin A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and gray literature sources identified 3026 records. Subgroup analyses indicated that FIT cutoff values between 15- and 25-g/g feces provided the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CRC (93% and 94%, respectively). et al; GRADE Working Group. et al; COLONPREV Study Investigators. It may not seem like 7 years is a huge difference, but the colorectal cancer prevalence from the under 45 age bracket is much lower than 50+. M, Fendrick Ng H, Repeat use of FIT and higher compliance to screening schedules48 could potentially counterbalance the superior accuracy of colonoscopy in the diagnosis of AN. Statistical analysis was performed with Stata software version 13.0 (Stata Corporation), using metandi and midas modules. H, Bishehsari Systematic Review Data Repository. Get the colonoscopy!" et al; GRADE Working Group. Quality assessment summary: review authors judgments about each risk of bias item for each included study, eFigure 3. Background The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among subjects with a positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT) who do not undergo a colonoscopy is unknown. MA, Levin One study we published showed that by increasing screening rates from 40% to 80%, we could cut the incidence of colorectal cancer deaths in half, he said. A single FIT test detects about 73 percent of colorectal cancers. Stool samples collected at home are sent in for analysis. E, Nicols-Prez About 10-15 percent of people screened with FIT will have an abnormal result and will require additional testing. M, Hernndez-Guerra A sensitivity analysis excluding studies at high or unclear risk of bias verified robustness of our conclusions. Random comparison of guaiac and immunochemical fecal occult blood tests for colorectal cancer in a screening population. J, Kallenberg The positive result could be caused by a stomach ulcer, hemorrhoids, other inflammation. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of FIT for detecting CRC or AN. Two authors (A.K. The methodological quality assessment of the included studies is summarized in eFigures 2 and 3 in the Supplement. Author Contributions: Dr Tsapas had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. 12 Data from outside the United States . To fully evaluate FIT sensitivity and effectiveness, a longitudinal study should assess its performance over several rounds of testing, taking into account the stage and site distribution of screen-detected CRCs and [interval CRCs] ICs in each round, they suggested. by Elia Ben-Ari, December 22, 2022, The main advantage of this test, which costs . Subgroup analyses for quantitative FIT and 1-sample FIT showed consistent findings supporting their accuracy; however, we could not draw any conclusions about the diagnostic accuracy of qualitative FIT or use of multiple samples due to insufficient evidence. Two authors (A.K. The full text of the remaining 202 reports were assessed, and 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review.26-37 DARE indicates Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. For each study we recalculated the sensitivity and specificity with 95% CIs from the true-positive (TP), false-positive (FP), false-negative (FN), and true-negative (TN) results, using Review Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Community). FIT only detects human blood from the lower intestines. EG, Bent et al. RA, Davenport Complications of colonoscopy. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we found reasonable diagnostic accuracy of FIT for CRC (AUC, 0.93) and AN (AUC, 0.86) in individuals with either a personal or family history of CRC. In our main analysis, FIT sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing CRC ranged from 0.25 to 1.00 (median, 0.81) and from 0.87 to 0.95 (median, 0.91), respectively. Vleugels L, Gorber These data therefore are providing additional evidence supporting the adoption of a 2-year interval for FIT screening, wrote Senore and Zorzi. This test looks for hidden blood in the stool. A proposal to standardize reporting units for fecal immunochemical tests for hemoglobin. FIT is one of the most widely used colorectal cancer screening tests worldwide. In the study, Imperiale and his colleagues determined that when the FIT was set to be more sensitive, the test caught 95 percent of cancers, but resulted in 10 percent false positives. independently extracted data and evaluated study quality using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies2 tool, and evaluated the quality of the body of evidence by means of GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). Study Selection Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with a positive fecal immunochemical test result, compared with follow-up colonoscopy at 8 to 30 days, follow-up after 10 months was associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer and more advanced-stage disease at the time of diagnosis. Hunt Colonoscopy is an invasive, expensive procedure with an established risk of complications.40,41 Population-based studies and randomized trials suggest that adherence to use of colonoscopy for screening in average and increased-risk populations is usually suboptimal.42 This undermines the efficacy of screening programs43 and underlines the need for alternative screening modalities that may limit the need for colonoscopy only to those participants with positive results. I didn't follow that and put myself through agony for weeks. However, the robustness of our results was verified in a series of subgroup analyses. Conclusions and Relevance The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for diagnosis of CRC and AN was 129 (95% CI, 11-1579) and 11 (95% CI, 8-17), respectively. If cancer is detected, treatment is usually the next step. . F, Agustin Bivariate analysis of sensitivity and specificity produces informative summary measures in diagnostic reviews. Methodological quality of included studies graph: review authors' judgments about each item presented as percentages across all included studies, eFigure 4. Appropriateness of colonoscopy in Europe (EPAGE II). At 76.6-85.8%, 1 the specificity of FIT at a cut-off of 10 is relatively high but this means that up to 25% of patients will have a false-positive result. Study supervision: Katsoula, Haidich, Tsapas, Giouleme. Finally, we evaluated the clinical utility of FIT utilizing Fagan nomograms to depict posttest probability in patients at increased risk for CRC and AN. DA, McFarland We explored the diagnostic accuracy at 3 different FIT thresholds (<15 g Hb/g, 15 to 25 g Hb/g, >25 g Hb/g feces) based on existing practice and to maximize sensitivity for an increased-risk population. While this is a relatively small percentage, it is important to note that a positive fit test result can be an indicator of cancer and should be taken seriously. The findings also highlight the need to identify opportunities to improve what is currently being done to ensure that people get the follow-up tests they need, Dr. Breslau said. JY, Chan Bariatric Surgery May Reduce Risk of Common Cancers, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. PM, Zwinderman No pre-test diet or medication changes needed. A positive FIT can also be due to a polyp, a pre . However, the validity of our conclusions is undermined by low or very low quality of the body of evidence. A follow-up, or diagnostic, colonoscopy can find not only colorectal cancer but also precancerous growths, or polyps, that doctors can remove during the procedure, reducing the risk of future cancers. Respective values for AN were sensitivity, 44% (95% CI, 34%-53%); specificity, 94% (95% CI, 92%-96%); LR+, 7.70 (95% CI, 5.10-11.70), and LR, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.51-0.71) (eFigure 5 in the Supplement). K, Robinson I, Cubiella Hierarchical summary receiver operating curve (HSROC) plot of sensitivity versus specificity for performance of FIT in studies using quantitative FIT with cut off value less than 25g/g only in patients with familial risk of CRC, eTable 1. keeping a . Colon cancer screening is appropriate for: Adults 45 and older with an average risk for colon cancer. From these findings, they concluded that a periodic FIT was an accurate test in people with average CRC risk. About 60% of the time, they'll find nothing; about 35%, a polyp; about 4%, a very early cancer; about 1% a less early cancer. We also conducted a series of prespecified subgroup analyses, based on type of FIT (qualitative or quantitative), number of samples (1, 2, or 3), or FIT cutoff used. The average sensitivity of FIT for CRC was 93% (95% CI, 53%-99%), and the average specificity was 91% (95% CI, 89%-92%), yielding a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 10.30 (CI 7.7-13.9) and a negative likelihood ratio (LR) of 0.08 (95% CI, 0.01-0.75) (GRADE: very low). For studies using multiple-sample FIT, positivity was rated based on the highest amount of fecal Hb measured in patient samples. LA, Needs to be done every year. High specificity and sensitivity of FIT allow prompt referral of patients with positive results for further diagnostic investigation with colonoscopy, and exclusion of CRC with high certainty in individuals with negative results respectively. M, To assess the diagnostic accuracy of FIT for CRC or advanced neoplasia (AN) in asymptomatic patients at above-average risk. We explored robustness of our findings by means of a series of prespecified sensitivity analyses, excluding studies at high or unclear risk of bias, studies recruiting patients with prior history of CRC or advanced adenomas (potential for spectrum bias),25 or studies that used delayed colonoscopy in patients with FIT-negative results as reference standard (potential for differential reference bias). Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or immunochemical FOBT. FN indicates false-negative results; FP, false-positive results; TN, true-negative results; TP, true-positive results. Good luck to you, and take care. FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) is a test that looks for blood in a sample of your poo. Levi P. metandi: meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy using hierarchical logistic regression. Carroll Such a strategy is associated with higher cost, lower adherence, and higher risk for rare, but serious, complications.2-6. The low incidence of colorectal cancer after that was likely due to the early detection of cancers and the removal of precancerous lesions during colonoscopy, Dr. Breslau explained. AACC uses cookies to ensure the best website experience. et al. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) No direct risk to the colon. TR, Corley In Italy, unlike in the United States, all citizens are entitled to care that is mostly free through Italys National Health Service. How often does cologuard give a false negative? Pooled test characteristic estimates for diagnosing CRC were sensitivity, 97% (95% CI, 62%-100%); specificity, 91% (95% CI, 89%-93%); LR+, 11.20 (95% CI, 8.30-15.10); and LR, 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00-0.60). Z, Rozen 2 It is used to detect colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, which is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Findings come from a study that is part of a larger effort to address screening disparities. Colonoscopy is a good test for finding polyps or cancer in the bowel. What Causes Immunotherapys Heart-Related Side Effects? Male sex (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.03, 1.62), age 65 years (OR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.01, . This study emphasizes that cancer screening is really a process, not a single step, and shows the importance of completing all steps of the process, said gastroenterologist Douglas Corley, M.D., Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, who was not involved in the study. Sensitivity was particularly low for T1 and stage I cancers in the distal colon (32% and 52%, respectively) although generally very high for cancers with higher T stage (T2-T4) and more advanced stage (UICC stage IIIV) overall. GPs can confidently avoid secondary care referrals for colorectal cancer investigation for patients who have had a negative result to a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), a study has concluded. Gimeno-Garca Surveillance after polypectomy and after resection of colorectal cancer. Respective values for AN were sensitivity, 46% (95% CI, 37%-56%); specificity, 93% (95% CI, 90%-95%); LR+, 6.60 (95% CI, 4.90-8.70); and LR, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.48-0.69). Date: DEC.17.2020 Diagnostic studies evaluating the accuracy of FIT for CRC or AN in patients with a personal or familial history of CRC using colonoscopy as the reference standard. et al. Equivalency of fecal immunochemical tests and colonoscopy in familial colorectal cancer screening. What is the diagnostic accuracy of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for screening of colorectal cancer (CRC) or advanced neoplasia in asymptomatic high-risk populations? We assessed the quality of the evidence in our main analysis but also separately for patients with family history or personal history of CRC. Accessibility Statement, Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Although this looks like a clear advantage for fecal DNA (60 of 65 cancers detected compared . [This] raises the importance of being able to get the individual steps correct and completed as best you can because every step where you lose some people in follow-up can have a big impact., Study Adds to Debate about Screening for Melanoma, Ivosidenib with Chemotherapy New Option for Some People with AML, If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors. Levin Diagnostic studies evaluating the accuracy of FIT for CRC or AN in patients with a personal or familial history of CRC using colonoscopy as the reference standard. Of the 432 participants who had a positive fecal immunochemical test, 285 underwent a colonoscopy (235 participants showed no polyps or cancer, 47 had polyps identified, and three had colorectal cancer identified). The pooled sensitivity was approximately 93% for CRC but much lower for AN (48%). Mean age ranged from 46.0 to 63.2 years, and percentage of males ranged from 30.2 to 50.6%. Testing for fecal occult blood is commonly used as a cancer screen for colon cancer. We assessed the full text of the remaining 202 reports. Respective values for AN were sensitivity, 47% (95% CI, 37%-58%); specificity, 93% (95% CI, 91%-95%); LR+, 6.90 (95% CI, 4.90-9.70); and LR, 0.56 (95% CI, 0.46-0.69). Grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations in clinical practice guidelines: part 2 of 3. the GRADE approach to grading quality of evidence about diagnostic tests and strategies. In June, the U.S. Preventive Services Task . This test uses antibodies that specifically react with a blood protein in the stool. The new faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is due to be introduced into the bowel cancer screening programme (BCSP) in England later this year to replace the current test. Heterogeneity and small sample size limit the precision of the results. Whiting All Rights Reserved, Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography, Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience, Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment, Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine, 2017;177(8):1110-1118. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.2309. This specific protein attaches to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying part of red blood cells. We fitted hierarchical logistic regression models when 4 or more studies were available.21-24. Eleven studies were cross-sectional and 1 was a randomized clinical trial.34 Two studies were reported only in abstract form.26,36 Nine studies included only first-degree relatives of CRC patients.26-28,30,32-34,36,37 Three studies included individuals either with a family history of CRC or prior history of CRC or advanced adenomas.29,31,35 Of these, only 2 studies reported results for subgroups.31,35, Eight studies evaluated quantitative FIT (OC-sensor/OC-micro, Eiken Chemical),26,27,29,31,33-36 while 4 studies used qualitative FITs (Hemosure, W.H.P.M. This points to one possible reason why people in this group, on average, were less likely to get follow-up colonoscopy exams, Dr. Corley said. . Anyway, if you get a positive test, do yourself a favor, don't diagnose yourself and stay off the internet. ST, Oort Quiz Ref IDColonoscopy is currently the only recommended screening modality for participants at increased risk of CRC owing to personal or family history.3 However, no study has documented the effectiveness of this policy on CRC incidence or mortality. The initial sharp rise was expected, the researchers noted, due to colorectal cancer being found during follow-up colonoscopy. A FIT kit is an alternative to a colonoscopy. We conducted a comprehensive search of several electronic databases, including MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE via Ovid, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment Database, and the Cochrane Library, without imposing any date or language restrictions. In asymptomatic people without risk factors who had a negative FIT within 2 years, colonoscopy had a very small chance of finding CRC. Gopalakrishna Fecal DNA testing was 92% sensitive and 87% specific, whereas FIT was 74% sensitive and 95% specific. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of FIT for CRC or advanced neoplasia (AN) in asymptomatic patients at above-average risk. Also, please keep in mind the percentage of positive tests that lead to cancer, I think it's somewhere around 3%. JA, Eisen Used not only as a screening test, colonoscopies are also used as a diagnostic procedure to follow up after positive results from a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT), fecal DNA test, sigmoidoscopy . As the broader DG30 criteria create a potentially enormous pool of low-risk patients, triage with FIT may lead to an overall increase in patients with false-positive . Can have false-positive test results. Brozek This delayed diagnosis likely explains the higher death rate from colorectal cancer in this group, Dr. Breslau said. We assessed the stability of our findings in a series of sensitivity analyses (eTable 1 in the Supplement). Can miss many polyps and some cancers. Respective estimates for AN were sensitivity, 47% (95% CI, 39%-55%); specificity, 94% (95% CI, 91%-96%); LR+, 8.10 (95% CI, 5.90-11.20); and LR, 0.56 (95% CI, 0.49-0.65) (eFigure 6 in the Supplement). We pooled results from 5 studies that were deemed at low risk of bias.