Faecal immunochemical test is superior to symptoms in predicting pathology in patients with suspected colorectal cancer symptoms referred on a 2WW pathway: a diagnostic accuracy study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess whether a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) could be used to select patients with suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) symptoms for urgent investigation.

Design

Multicentre, double-blinded diagnostic accuracy study in 50 National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across England between October 2017 and December 2019. Patients referred to secondary care with suspected CRC symptoms meeting NHS England criteria for urgent 2 weeks wait referral and triaged to investigation with colonoscopy were invited to perform a quantitative FIT. The sensitivity of FIT for CRC, and effect of relevant variables on its diagnostic accuracy was assessed.

Results

9822 patients were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of CRC at colonoscopy was 3.3%. The FIT positivity

SUBMITTER: D'Souza N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8108285 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature