Improving colorectal cancer detection

Researchers have found that lowering the fecal immunochemical test positivity threshold may result in sensitivity and specificity levels similar to those achieved with multitarget stool RNA testing, according to a study published in JAMA. Multitarget stool RNA testing and FIT testing are used to identify patients with colorectal cancer or advanced adenoma.

In the BLITZ study, the researchers analyzed the sensitivity and specificity of the multitarget stool RNA test and FIT test among 7,607 patients. They lowered the positivity threshold to 8.8 µg/g and discovered that both tests demonstrated a 17% positivity rate. Additionally, compared with the multitarget stool RNA tests, the FIT tests achieved a sensitivity of 94.9% vs 94.4% for colorectal cancer and 44.7% vs 45.9% for advanced adenoma.

“Future comparisons of novel stool-based screening … with FIT [tests] should incorporate comparisons of sensitivities at the same positivity rate or specificity,” concluded the study authors.

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