QuikRead go iFOBT showed good diagnostic accuracy for colorectal cancer

Non-invasive point of care (POC) faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) aid in triaging both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients for colonoscopy. If awaiting a laboratory result can be avoided, it enables faster decision-making and improved risk-stratification of patients and their referral for secondary care or urgent referral pathway. A recent prospective observational cohort study conducted in the UK compared the diagnostic accuracy of QuikRead go iFOBT POC test and laboratory-based FIT using colonoscopy as a reference. The study used faecal haemoglobin cut-off of 10 µg/g.

The study used paired faecal samples from symptomatic patients who were referred for the urgent colorectal referral pathway for suspected colorectal cancer (CRC). The paired samples collected from the same faeces sample rarely provide identical results because of the heterogeneity in blood distribution. In this study, the overall agreement was found good between the QuikRead go iFOBT and laboratory-based FIT without clear overall bias. The sensitivity of QuikRead go iFOBT to CRC was 92.9%, specificity 70.1%, and negative predictive value 99.7%. The area under the curve value was 0.92, indicating excellent overall diagnostic accuracy.

The authors concluded that QuikRead go iFOBT is safe for clinical use and has the potential for time and cost savings, providing a better patient experience when colorectal cancer is suspected.

Read the original article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34679264/