Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Eliminating the Need for Dietary Restrictions When Using a Sensitive Guaiac Fecal Occult Blood Test

  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

When using the peroxidase-sensitive guaiac fecaloccult blood test, Hemoccult Sensa (HOS), dietaryrestrictions are recommended so as to reduce its falsepositivity from ingested peroxidases. As dietary restrictions could reduce compliance for annualretesting, we reexamined their need. HOS was given to944 persons in an endoscopic screening/follow-upprogram. Only the first 403 received instructionsregarding a low peroxidase-containing diet for three daysbefore and during HOS collection. Development wasdelayed 3-14 days after HOS preparation, and there wereno significant differences in duration before HOS development in examinees with or withoutcolorectal neoplasia and having or not having a positivetest. Of the 901 persons without endoscopic evidence ofneoplasia, 377 had received and 524 had not received instructions on dietary restrictions. Their HOSpositivity was 7.2% and 5.5%, respectively (P = 0.26).When using HOS, delaying development by 3-14 days allowsbreakdown of ingested peroxidases, so dietary restrictions are not needed in our population,which has a low red meat intake.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Young GP, Macrae FA, St John DJB: Clinical methods for early detection: Basis, use and evaluation. In Prevention and Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer. GP Young, P Rozen, B Levin (eds). London, Saunders, 1996, pp 241-270

    Google Scholar 

  2. Petty MT, Deacon MC, Alexeyeff MA, St John DJB, Young GP: Readability and sensitivity of a new faecal occult blood test in a hospital ward environment. Med J Aust 156:420-423, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  3. St John DJB, Young GP, Alexeyeff MA, Deacon MC, Cuthbertson AM, Macrae F, Penfold JCB: Evaluation of new occult blood tests for detection of colorectal neoplasia. Gastroenterology 104:1661-1668, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  4. Petrelli N, Michalek AM, Freedman A, Baroni M, Mink I, Rodriguez-Bigas M: Immunochemical versus guaiac occult blood stool tests: results of a community-based screening program. Surg Oncol 3:27-36, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  5. Rozen P, Knaani J, Papo N: Evaluation and comparison of an immunochemical and a guaiac faecal occult blood screening test for colorectal neoplasia. Eur J Cancer Prev 4:475-481, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  6. Levin B, Hess K, Johnson C: A comparison of 3 fecal occult blood tests. Arch Intern Med 157:970-976, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  7. Allison JE, Tekawa IS, Ransom LJ, Adrian AL: A comparison of fecal occult-blood tests for colorectal-cancer screening. N Engl J Med 334:155-159, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  8. Feinberg EJ, Steinberg WM, Banks BL, Henry JP: How long to abstain from eating red meat before fecal occult blood tests. Ann Intern Med 113:403-404, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  9. Rozen P, Knaani J, Samuel Z: Performance characteristics and comparison of two immunochemical and two guaiac fecal occult blood screening tests for colorectal neoplasia. Dig Dis Sci 42:2064-2071, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sinatra MA, St John DJB, Young GP: Interference by plant peroxidases with guaiac-test fecal occult blood tests is avoidable. Clin Chem ( in press)

  11. HemoccultSensa Product Instructions. Palo Alto, California, SmithKline Diagnostics, Inc. 1994.

  12. Ransohoff DF, Lang CA: Screening for colorectal cancer with the fecal occult blood test: A background paper. Ann Int Med 126:811-822, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rozen P: Screening for colorectal cancer in the Tel-Aviv area: Cumulative data 1979-1989 and initial conclusions. Isr J Med Sci 28( suppl):8-20, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  14. Rozen P: Colorectal cancer screening in Israel. Gastrointest Endosc 47:97-98, 1998

    Google Scholar 

  15. Mandel JS, Bond JH, Church TR, Snover DC, Bradley GM, Schuman LM, Ederer F, for the Minnesota colon cancer control study. Reducing mortality from colorectal cancer by screening for fecal occult blood. N Engl J Med 328:1365-1371, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kronborg O, Fenger C, Olsen J, Jorgensen OD, Sondergaard O: Randomised study of screening for colorectal cancer with faecal-occult-blood test. Lancet 348:1467-1471, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hardcastle JD, Chamberlain JO, Robinson MHE, Moss SM, Amar SS, Balfour TW, James PD, Mangham CM: Randomized controlled trial of faecal-occult-blood screening for colorectal cancer. Lancet 348:1472-1477, 1996

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Paul Rozen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Judith Knaani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ziona Samuel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rozen, P., Knaani, J. & Samuel, Z. Eliminating the Need for Dietary Restrictions When Using a Sensitive Guaiac Fecal Occult Blood Test. Dig Dis Sci 44, 756–760 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026618010312

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026618010312

Search

Navigation