First- and Second-Round Yields of Fecal Immunochemical Testing

Randomized controlled trials have suggested that the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outperforms the guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (FOBT) with respect to sensitivity for advanced colorectal neoplasia and adherence. But how well does the FIT perform in consecutive screening rounds?

To explore this question, researchers in the Netherlands evaluated the yields for advanced neoplasia and colorectal cancer from two screening rounds, conducted in 2006 and 2008. In the first round, 4990 participants were randomized to receive a FIT or a guaiac FOBT. In the second round, which was restricted to individuals with negative first-round results, all 3616 participants received a FIT.

For individuals who received a FIT in both the first and second ro…