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We all must screen for colon cancer. New data suggests that you might be able to use a simple chemical test at home to replace that nasty bowel prep followed by either colonoscopy under anesthesia or a CT scan.

A meta-analysis by Indiana University of some 31 studies testing more than 120,000 persons shows that the so called FIT test, the fecal immunochemical test, is so sensitive and specific that it may be used on an annual basis by many of us in place of the screening colonoscopy.

The FIT test may be purchased over the counter online for $10 to $30 and looks specifically for a chemical trace of blood in the stool. You need not follow any special diet or avoid any medications before using the test.

Each FIT test is different. With some, you simply place a bit of stool on the test surface and cover the zone before dropping on developing liquid or mailing it off to the lab. With others, you toss an indicator strip into the toilet bowl with the stool and watch for a color change.

This test is only appropriate for healthy persons without a history of polyps and without a family history of bowel disease including polyps and cancer. It can only detect blood in the stool and will not reliably detect polyps. It must be repeated yearly, and, if the test is positive, you must have a colonoscopy.

Thomas F. Imperiale, Rachel N. Gruber,Timothy E. Stump, Thomas W. Emmett, Patrick O. Monahan. Test Characteristics of Fecal Immunochemical Tests for Colorectal Cancer and Advanced Adenomatous Polyps: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2019 DOI: 10.7326/M18-2390

#colonscreening #colonoscopy #FIT #fecalimmunochemicaltest #healthnews

Stool Testing Can Replace Colonoscopy: Best Of: Feb, 2019

Dr. Howard Smith Reports