Fecal occult blood testing in colorectal cancer screening programs

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and ranks second as a cause of mortality. CRC screening carried out in many countries for detection early-stage its prevention by removing precancerous lesions, includes fecal occult blood testing colonoscopy. Different use their own approach to screening, including methods blood. The strategy based on fact that already early stages tumor can bleed, small traces stool are detected before onset clinical symptoms disease. testing. Chemical immunochemical used determine feces. chemical method heme peroxidase activity. detects human globin using specific antibodies. be qualitative quantitative. sensitivity quantitative test depends selected threshold stage CRC. lower value, higher sensitivity, but specificity due false positive results. programs different thresholds countries, which caused availability colonoscopy result, well rate this population. To increase test, some suggest it combination with other methods: DNA stool, examination proteins feces (transferrin, haptoglobin). This review presents world testing, advantages limitations; recommendations reporting results test; recommended tests. pilot regions Russian Federation also presented.