Researchers say a new type of stool occult blood test is an effective colon cancer screening tool that can be done at home, Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35. net Tests called fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are done at home to look for tiny amounts of blood in the stool, a likely sign of colon cancer..

In the new work, scientists analyzed 19 studies, according to the results of which FIT identified more? cancer cases - not a bad result for a simple home test.

Experts say these data once again confirm the reliability of home tests used today.. Dr. Elizabeth Liles, of the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Center in Portland, said: "

Elizabeth Lyles and colleagues reported their findings in the February 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine..

Experts now recommend that people with an average risk of colon cancer begin periodic screening at age 50.. And they can choose from several options, including annual stool testing followed by a colonoscopy (if positive), as well as a colonoscopy every 10 years or a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years..

Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are invasive procedures for examining the walls of the intestine, but sigmoidoscopy is less "

In recent years, a growing number of American physicians have recommended fecal immunochemical tests instead of traditional fecal blood tests because they are reliable and, most importantly, it is much easier for patients to take a home test..

Despite this, different researchers expressed different opinions about the sensitivity of FIT.. Of particular concern is the likelihood of a false negative result when a person does have bowel cancer and the test shows nothing..

Experts questioned which screening test was most effective in reducing bowel cancer-related deaths. Colonoscopy is recognized as the "

New study gives clearer picture of how tests work. For their review, Lyles and colleagues analyzed results from 19 studies conducted since 1996 that used 8 brands of fecal immunochemical tests.. They found that the sensitivity of the tests varied from study to study, but the circle narrowed when scientists excluded those brands that were no longer on the market..

On average, fecal immunochemical tests detect about 79% of colon cancer cases, and their specificity reaches 90%. This means that tests are negative in 90% of people who do not have bowel cancer..

Lyles said the surprise was that the performance of FIT with 2-3 stool samples was the same as with 1 sample.. This is important because people will be more willing to perform analysis the simpler it is..

Modern FIT is very easy to use. Unlike older tests, there are no restrictions on diet and medication the day before the sample is taken.. Simplicity is a clear advantage of the test over colonoscopy. But Lyles agrees that more research is needed to compare the two methods..

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 20 people in the United States will develop colon cancer in their lifetime..

More than 50,000 Americans have died from this insidious disease in the past few years, but the death rate has continued to decline for decades.. ACS says it's largely due to screening.

In November 2013, a federal report indicated that about 1/3 of Americans aged 50-75 did not receive the recommended screening for colon cancer.. Among these people, 28% of those who have never had such screening at all. Considering this, the potential for a home test is huge..

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