Are FIT Results Affected by NSAIDs or Anticoagulants?

Use of anticoagulants or antithrombotics significantly increased test sensitivity; aspirin or NSAIDs did not.

Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) is now the preferred method of detecting fecal occult blood and has begun to replace older, guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT; JW Gastroenterol Apr 4 2008). One drawback of FOBT is its low specificity for colorectal cancer (CRC), which might result from gastrointestinal bleeding caused by medications such as anticoagulants or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Could the quantitative performance of FIT also be affected by such drugs?

To find out, researchers performed a prospective cross-sectional study of 1221 Israeli ambulatory patients who were at elevated risk or symptomatic for CRC. Records from a national HMO database were used to classify participants as drug takers (i.e., thos…

Reviewing Author

Douglas K. Rex, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOlympus Corporation America; Boston Scientific

Speaker’s BureauOlympus

Grant/Research SupportMedtronic; Boston Scientific; Colonary Solutions; Paion Medical; Medivators; Braintree Laboratories

Editorial BoardsWorld Journal of Gastroenterology; The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology; Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Medscape Gastroenterology; World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Annals of Gastroenterology & Hepatology; World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology; Comparative Effectiveness Research; Journal of Anesthesia & Clinical Research; Gastroenterology; World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology; Gastroenterology Research and Practice; GI & Hepatology News; Gastroenterology Report; Clinical Epidemiology Reviews; JSM Gastroenterology and Hepatology; GI Journal Watch; Austin Journal of Gastroenterology; World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Treasurer); US Multi-Society Task Force (AGA, ACG, ASGE) (Chair)

Douglas K. Rex, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOlympus Corporation America; Boston Scientific

Speaker’s BureauOlympus

Grant/Research SupportMedtronic; Boston Scientific; Colonary Solutions; Paion Medical; Medivators; Braintree Laboratories

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Treasurer); US Multi-Society Task Force (AGA, ACG, ASGE) (Chair)