Invited Commentary

Commentary on "A Clinician's Guide to Fecal Occult Blood Testing for Colorectal Cancer"

Authors: Imad I. Ahmad, MD, John W. Birk, MD, Joel B. Levine, MD

Abstract

The 2015 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database reports 132,700 new colon cancer cases in the United States, with 49,700 estimated deaths.1 Colon cancer is a potentially preventable disease as a result of its relatively indolent natural history, making it ideal for screening and intervention. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, there are prevention and detection tests for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.2 Colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and computed tomographic colonography are classified as prevention tests, whereas stool-based testing options, which include fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), and stool DNA (sDNA), are detection tests.

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