>10 Percent of FIT Are Unsatisfactory and Cannot Be Processed

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) — More than 10 percent of fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) for colorectal cancer cannot be processed by a laboratory, and fewer than half complete a subsequent FIT within 15 months, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Po-Hong Liu, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to examine unsatisfactory FIT among average-risk individuals aged 50 to 74 years who completed an index FIT from 2010 to 2019. Factors associated with unsatisfactory FIT and subsequent testing were examined.

Overall, 10.2 percent of 56,980 individuals completing an index FIT had an unsatisfactory FIT. The researchers found that reasons for unsatisfactory FIT included inadequate specimen, incomplete labeling, old specimen, and broken/leaking container (51, 27, 13, and 8 percent, respectively). The odds of unsatisfactory FIT were increased in association with being male, Black, Spanish speaking, on Medicaid, and receiving FIT by mail (odds ratios, 1.10, 1.46, 1.12, 1.42, and 2.66, respectively). Fewer than half of those with an unsatisfactory FIT completed a subsequent test within 15 months (41 percent at a median of 4.4 months). The likelihood of completing a subsequent test was increased for adults aged 50 to 54 years and those who received FIT by mail (odds ratios, 1.16 and 1.92, respectively).

“Our results may inform design of patient education and system improvement strategies to improve screening delivery in real-world settings,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to Freenome.

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