Negative fecal tests tied to low risk for advanced colorectal cancer (Multiple negative FIT tests seem accurate)

Medical Xpress / HealthDay / Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology ^ | Jan. 31, 2023 | Lori Solomon / Molla M. Wassie et al

[ConservativeMind]

There was a low risk for advanced neoplasia after multiple rounds of negative fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) in people undergoing surveillance colonoscopy, according to a study.

Molla M. Wassie, Ph.D. and colleagues examined the relationship between number of rounds of negative FIT and the risk for advanced neoplasia in individuals undergoing surveillance colonoscopy. The analysis included 3,369 individuals (aged 50 to 74 years) who had completed a two-sample FIT between colonoscopies with each round having a negative result (<20 μg hemoglobin/g feces).

The researchers found that the incidence of advanced neoplasia in the cohort was 9.9 percent and decreased with increasing numbers of rounds of negative FIT results (11.1 percent after one negative FIT to 5.7 percent after four negative tests). Compared with only one negative FIT, the risk for advanced neoplasia was significantly lower in participants with three (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 0.50) and four (SHR, 0.33) rounds of negative FIT.

"This supports the use of interval FIT to personalize surveillance by lengthening colonoscopy intervals following multiple negative FIT results," the authors write.

[ConservativeMind]

You may not need the colonoscopy if you keep getting negative fecal tests.

[ConservativeMind]

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[crusty old prospector]

Proctologists are not going to be too happy. Colonoscopies are a cash cow.

[higgmeister]

Negative fecal tests tied to low risk for advanced colorectal cancer (Multiple negative FIT tests seem accurate)

Isn't that the stupidist headline ever written?   This "well duh" moment brought to you by Medical Xpress © dot com and by Science X Network.

[ConservativeMind]

Actually, the headline makes sense.

FIT hasn’t been considered accurate enough for consistent real life use.

This says those doctors have been wrong.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Does a negative fecal test mean no pre-cancerous polyps? If not, that’s why I’d prefer the scope. I had two removed five years ago and was clean last November. Next one not due for seven years now.

[telescope115]

Colonoscopies are a cash cow.

Yes, but for some of us they are a necessity.

[telescope115]

I have to have one every couple of years. It seems like every time I have one the doc finds at least one. Non-cancerous, but one was pre-cancerous a couple years ago.

[MayflowerMadam]

“fecal immunochemical tests (FIT)”

Would that be like the Cologuard test?

[ConservativeMind]

Similar, but Cologuard is better.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Yep, as long as they’re found and removed before going cancerous, that’s all that matters, whether they ever would have or not. My Doctor considers every polyp to be pre-cancerous, removes any he finds during the procedure and schedules the next one on what he found this time. No need to even be concerned about getting colon cancer, advanced or not, with that level of preventive treatment.