Accuracy And Value Of The Hemoccult Test In Symptomatic Patients

• Published in: British medical journal (Clinical research ed.) Vol. 286; no. 6366; pp. 673 - 674
• Main Authors: Leicester, Roger J., Lightfoot, Antonia, Millar, Judith, Colin-Jones, Duncan G., Hunt, Richard H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Association 26.02.1983; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Barium; Cancer; Clinical Research; Colonic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colonoscopy; Colorectal cancer; Enema; False Negative Reactions; Female; Gastroenterology; Humans; Lesions; Male; Middle Aged; Occult Blood; Occult blood testing; Patient assessment; Proctoscopy; Prospective Studies; Rectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Sigmoidoscopy
• ISSN: 0267-0623
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.286.6366.673

Hemoccult faecal occult blood testing is widely advocated as a screening test for colorectal cancer but few studies have shown its correlation with conventional methods of investigation for colorectal disease. In a prospective study of 802 symptomatic patients with suspected colorectal disease there was good patient compliance (92.5%) and a high specificity for colorectal cancer (85.4%). The false positive rate was 8.6% (12 of 140 patients with positive results), and while the test result was positive in 22 of 26 colonic cancers the false negative rate for rectal cancer (45.4%) should not detract from its value as a screening test if proper digital anorectal and proctosigmoidoscopic examination are widely practised. A positive Hemoccult test result is a useful indicator for the need to proceed to full colorectal investigation, including colonoscopy.