Evidence of Mortality Reduction from FIT in Italy

Randomized, controlled trial findings support guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and sigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality reduction but have not been conducted for colonoscopy, barium enema, computed tomographic colonography, or fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for blood. FIT has higher adherence rates and better performance characteristics than guaiac-based FOBT.

Biennial FIT-based screening programs were introduced in some Italian regions in 2002–2004 and in other regions in 2008–2009. In the regions that started screening first, CRC mortality rates declined by 22% in men and 32% in women between the prescreening period of 1995 to 2000 and the postscreening period of 2006 through 2011. In the regions that initi…