Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer

The authors have developed a specific, sensitive, simple and economic method for the detection of occult colorectal bleeding. The new technique consists of the traditional guaiac type reaction and an immunochemical test which as a second-phase test using dried filter paper discs serves to eliminate or reduce the false-positive reactions, decreasing the necessity of further invasive diagnostic measures. They report on their experience obtained with the screening of a rural population of 3,346 persons; a positive colour reaction was observed in 546 individuals (16.3%) who were not on diet. In the second-phase immunochemical examination, however, this number decreased to 54 (1.6%). In this group of patients, who did have blood in their stools, 5 colorectal carcinomas (9.25%), each in the early Duke stage A, could be detected. The overall detection rate of carcinoma, polyp and colitis ulcerosa, likewise a precancerous state, was 40.73%. The results obtained so far suggest that this combined screening method represents an easier, cheaper and a more rapid diagnostic method for the detection of early colorectal carcinomas and precancerous states compared to the conventional ones. In mass