Home testing can be a very convenient way for people to learn more about their health, particularly when the alternative is an expensive or invasive procedure. This can be especially true for colon cancer screening, which is usually done with a colonoscopy at a doctor's office, but there are also colon cancer testing kits that can be used by people at home. A new study has indicated, however, that once those home colon cancer screening tests reach the lab, no results can be obtained from about one in ten of them, usually because people have not used them properly. The findings have been reported in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
"The study underscores the importance of addressing breakdowns in the screening process, particularly in specimen collection and labeling," said corresponding study author Rasmi Nair, an assistant professor of public health at UT Southwestern in Dallas.
Experts recommend that people between the ages of 45 and 75 get screened for colon cancer on a regular basis. While colonoscopies are often used, there are also fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colon cancer screening. These tests look for very small levels of blood in fecal samples. They are also easier than colonoscopies, which require advance preparation. FITs are also much cheaper.
FITs can be completed by putting a small bit of stool into a labeled container, which is then sent for testing at a laboratory. In this work, the investigators assessed the outcome of about 57,000 home FITs that were sent to labs from 2010 to 2019. This study revealed that over ten percent of the tests couldn't be processed at the lab, usually because of patient error. There were a few different reasons why: in 51 percent of cases, not enough stool had been collected; in 27 percent of cases, labeling was incomplete; in 13 percent of cases the sample was too old; and containers were broken or leaking in 8 percent of cases.
There tended to be more mistakes among patients who had not been directed to use the test by a clinician, and instead got them through the mail.
Patients need better education on how to collect and send these samples, the study authors concluded. There should also be follow-up when problems arise. The researchers also noted that these conclusions should apply to other home tests too.
"Our findings could impact other at-home tests such as fecal DNA tests for CRC [colorectal cancer] screening and future home testing for human papillomavirus, for instance," Nair said. "Understanding the reasons for unsatisfactory home tests, implementing automatic ordering of subsequent tests, and ensuring appropriate completion of tests and follow-up become increasingly important."
Sources: Medical Express, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
