Faecal Occult Blood Point-of-Care Tests

Abstract

Background: Early detection of colorectal cancer decreases the risk of mortality. Faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) are recognised as a useful tool for colorectal cancer screening. These non-invasive, rapid, and easy-to-carry assays are very often used as a point-of-care test and for self-testing. On the market, there are various types of FOB tests available, including chemical and immunochromatographic tests, which are based on different detection methods and differ in their sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the causes of false-negative and false-positive test results, which can vary depending on the test. Additionally, stool sampling bias may be a source of error and must be considered by the clinician. The current FOBT methods are subject to various interfering factors; items such as proper preparation of the patient prior to testing or the clinician's knowledge of testing limitations are key in correct interpreting results. Novel technologies such as FOBT DNA tests, micro RNA tests, and biochips equipped with bacteria can indicate bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract and improve diagnostics process.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Immunochemistry; Occult blood; Point-of-care; Screening; Stool sampling.