Colorectal cancer and hemoccult

Hemoccult slides have been used in an attempt to determine their usefulness as a screening method for the detection of colorectal neoplasia. Two methods have been used. In the first, 300 unprepared patients had an immediate single-stool specimen tested with Hemoccult. Only nine patients were referred for investigation after this single test, and no case of colorectal neoplasia was discovered. In the second method over 2,500 three-stool test kits were distributed to the public, of which 1,160 (46%) have been returned and tested. Positive tests were obtained in 68 patients. Follow-up of 58 of these patients has led to the detection of three cases of carcinoma of the colon and nine cases of benign polyps greater than one centimetre in diameter. The cost of screening patients with a three-stool test has been calculated to be $2.50 per patient.