Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT)
These laboratory kits cost about $10 and they are the most common colon cancer screening tests, although their effectiveness is being questioned. This test involves taking samples from two different parts of your stool, for three days, and spreading the samples on the testing paper. A recent study found a 33 percent reduction in death (in average-risk people) from colorectal cancer in the group having an annual FOBT test. Some of this reduction in risk could be due to colonoscopies that were performed due to false positive FOBT results. If you are opting for an FOBT as part of your annual physical exam, there are a few things you might want to know:
* Of all the different FOBT tests available, HemeSelect (an immunochemical test) has been shown to perform better than the others.
* The test is more accurate (avoiding false-negative and false-positive test results) when you abstain from taking aspirin and eating certain foods (red meat, some raw fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C supplements). Be sure to ask your doctor if there are any food guidelines he/she wants you to follow before taking the samples.
* It can still miss a cancer that wasn’t bleeding at the time or it can pick up bleeding for which no source can be found. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Tests’ »