BACKGROUND/AIMS 

This study was carried out to assess the validity of three testing methods of immunochemical occult blood according to the number of collection times as a means for colorectal cancer screening.

METHODOLOGY 

Four thousand six hundred and eleven asymptomatic individuals, who received both an immunochemical occult blood test with a three-day method and colonoscopy during a medical check-up, served as subjects for this study.

For evaluation of the desirable number of sampling times, we used the results of the first day for the 1-day method, the results of the first and second days for the 2-day method, and the results of three-consecutive days for the 3-day method.

Sensitivities and specificities of these three testing methods were evaluated.

RESULTS 

Sensitivities and specificities for colorectal cancer were calculated to be 56% and 97% for the 1-day method, 83% and 96% for the 2-day method, and 89% and 94% for the 3-day method, respectively, showing a significant difference in sensitivity between the 1-day and the 2-day methods, as well as the 3-day method (p<0.01), and in specificity between the 1-day as well as the 2-day and 3-day methods (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS 

These findings indicate that the immunochemical fecal occult blood test is useful for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and that 2-day testing is recommended as a means of screening for colorectal cancer.