Do Aspirin and NSAIDs Affect Immunochemical Fecal Occult Blood Testing?

In one study, these drugs boosted sensitivity without compromising specificity.

Patients are advised routinely to discontinue aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 1 week before colorectal cancer screening with guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs; e.g., Hemoccult Sensa). Should this restriction also apply to the newer immunochemical FOBTs?

In an earlier study by Israeli researchers, adults (about half asymptomatic) underwent colonoscopy after submitting three stool specimens for immunochemical FOBT (JW Gen Med Mar 22 2007). Now, the same researchers report on whether aspirin and other NSAIDs influenced test accuracy.

Among 980 patients who were not using aspirin or NSAIDs when they collected stool samples, sensitivity and specificity of immunochemical FOBTs for colonoscopy-detected …

Reviewing Author

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose