Faecal immunochemical screening tests for colorectal cancer: a single-centre case study from the Czech Republic

Abstract

The goal of this study is to describe the temporary state of faecal occult blood screening in the Czech Republic. Qualitative and quantitative methods of faecal immunochemical testing for haemoglobin were compared and evaluated retrospectively for a period of four years. Screening was actively offered to asymptomatic individuals within their preventive check-ups, starting at the age of 50. Two types of faecal immunochemical tests were used for screening: a qualitative and a quantitative method. Any positive tests detected during screening were followed up by a total colonoscopy. The research sample contained 454 persons; 191 individuals (42.07%) were tested using the qualitative method and 263 individuals (57.83%) were tested through the quantitative method. The qualitative test’s specificity for our sample was 75.84%. Better results were yielded by the quantitative test, where the specificity of the sample reached 94.69%. The latter represented an improvement in faecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening in the Czech Republic that can result in more frequent detection of the disease and a lower mortality rate. Occult blood test screening is ideal for the successful prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) developing from polyps.