Office-based FOBT (faecal occult blood testing) test are "ineffective", says study
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Single, doctors' office-based faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is not an accurate method for detecting colorectal cancer, says a US study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (January 18). The study's authors, based at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Portland, Oregon, said that between 24-64% of primary care providers use FOBT as their sole primary screening test for colorectal cancer; the tests are performed on faecal samples obtained via digital rectal examinations.